


I Can't Get No Satisfaction!

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Canon, Drama, Fluff, Horror, Michael Novotny Bashing, Minor Character Death, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-07-01
Updated: 2005-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-27 09:33:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 34,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12078375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: Has life gotten you down? Does your job suck? Is your significant other causing you grief? Brian Kinney knows exactly how you feel. Inspired by the movie 'Shaun of the Dead' (All characters and places inspired by the movie belong to Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, StudioCanal, and Rogue Pictures!), I present to you my version of the movie through QaF. Brian is just your average middle class male living in the Pitts with his lover, Justin.  Until one fateful day, when the dead start returning to life and Brian's world goes topsy turvy! With the help of his best friend Michael, his mother Debbie and his lover's flat mates Emmett and Ted---he must find a way to stay alive and somehow get laid.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

**Author's Note** \- _I just wanted to let everyone know that this is my first fic, so, please be gentle! Also, if there's any constructive criticism you would like to give me---direct it all to Ray, my boyfriend, who was also my beta and who assumed he knew what he was doing when he corrected my work. (^_^) Thanks, darlings~!_

* * *

“So, you have your 1, 456 channels of non stop entertainment, picture quality’s all good and it’s only $1000 dollars---what do you say?” the man inquired. 

 

The woman cocked her head to the side and let a small frown grace her lips. The only reason she had come into this store in the first place was to ask this delicious man for his number. She couldn’t care less about some television set. 

 

“You must be joking! $1000 dollars for this crap?! Give me a break, sheesh!” was her parting exclamation before walking away in a huff. 

 

It seems like the man was a lot more dimwitted them she pegged him for. Too bad, he was quite the looker! She sighed in disappointment before continuing her walk down the street. 

 

While the woman was disgruntled with her lousy luck, the man was pleased with her sudden departure. What was it about straight women always going for gay men? Most importantly, himself?! Well, who the fuck gave a shit? As long as he continued to fuck every available ass on the block and not convert to twat licking, life was good. 

 

Speaking of fucking, he wondered how his lover was doing. Taking a moment to reminiscence, he recalled the time when he met Justin Taylor AKA the trick who would never leave. 

 

It was on a day when Brian had gone out to Babylon to celebrate his job promotion that week. Realizing that everybody in the club that night had all been fucked by yours truly, he left with a sense of emptiness inside him. 

 

However, on the way to his jeep that night, he had looked up to casually glance around, only to find the most gorgeous looking man staring straight back at him. 

 

The man had porcelain skin, clear intelligent blue eyes, and an ethereal quality about him that made Brian’s cock stand at attention and the next thing he knew he was inviting the delectable looking stud over to his place. After a night full of strenuous activities and whispered sentiments, Brian had somehow developed an attachment to his consort overnight. 

 

Consumed by panic and denial, he tried in vain to boot the kid out the door. However, the teen had only exacerbated things more when he had declared that he _loved_ Brian! 

 

The rest as they say is history.

 

“Kinney! Don’t forget to lock the door on your way out tonight, alright?” shouted a short stumpy old man.

 

Startled by the sudden interruption, Brian nodded dumbly as the old man waddled out the store. God what a day…no sales and one complaint! All this drama had put him in a grumpy mood and now all he wanted was a bottle of Jim Beam. So far, the week was going smoothly…not! 

 

Setting aside his delicious thoughts of his lover for the time being, he set about the task of closing up the store. As he did his tasks, he found himself recalling a point in his life, where he had questioned the reason for his being here. Here, as in this stupid fucking Television Shop working as a damn lap dog for some hick that didn’t know jack about the product he was trying to sell! 

 

Hell, he was worth much more than that! Why…when he was a kid, he had a dream of making it big in this world. He knew he had the potential and the charisma to be whatever he wanted. Everybody loved him! He was known for his excellent soccer playing and his exceptional academic records---overall, he had it made. 

 

Therefore, the act of picturing Brian Kinney working as a television sales clerk in the middle of the Pitts at the ripe age of 29 was a ridiculous notion. Yet, sadly, it was his reality. To make matters worse, he still lived with his best friend, Michael Novotny, whom he knew since, like, forever and his college room mate, Ben Bruckner, who used to sell drugs to him throughout their college years.

 

“Jesus, what a life.” Was all he could say before grabbing his shit and locking the front door.

 

As he finished closing up the store, he turned to make a right in the direction of home and gasped when he bumped into someone standing in his way. 

 

“You know…you could say you’re sorry! Afterall, we all know how big you are and how small I am, so, you really could have killed me,” Griped his hotheaded lover. He smirked in response and pulled Justin close to his body for a kiss. 

 

“Hmmm, you got that right. I am big but that doesn’t mean you’re small. I’d say you’re medium sized.” Was his suggestive reply. The other man’s response was a simple smile and a shrug of his delicate shoulders while mouthing the word ‘Later’. 

 

Brian put an arm around his companion and then they started walking in the direction of Brian’s home while making idle chit chat with one another. It was times like these that Brian wished he had a video camera on him, then he could tape the memorable things in their relationship that he could always look back on and cherish.

Wait…did he say ‘relationship’? Christ, when did he become such a lesbian? Just as he was about to comment on his day, his lover began to speak and something in the way he was expressing himself compelled Brian to listen.

 

“Brian? I was wondering seeing as how we’ve been a couple for a long time now…” he ignored the groan that the older man emitted and continued, “I was thinking that we could spend more time with each other, you know? Maybe you could take a break from tricking or how about spending more time with me than you do at Woody’s or with Michael?” 

 

Brian sighed in frustration; he was familiar with this conversation already. 

 

Next, Justin would bring up his flat mates, Emmett Honeycutt and Ted Schmidt.

 

Emmett was an aspiring actor and actually quite knowledgeable in first aid. Brian didn’t mind him much except for the times when he tried to get him to join in on one of his stupid play productions or when he tried to force Brian into a doctor+patient scenario. 

 

Thanks but no thanks! 

 

The last thing he needed was to be associated with a bunch of queens who saw themselves as being major divas in that sort of business! In addition, he definitely did not need Emmett’s idea of a daily ‘check up’ asserted onto him whenever the other man felt curious, which in this case would entail a full body examination with an extra close-up of the penis. 

 

Uh, how about no? Just no. 

 

Then there was Ted Schmidt, a sad excuse for a man. Brian had seen him pop up at Babylon and Woody’s every now and then in an attempt to get lucky but was always rejected for better goods. Not that Ted was disgusting to look at, the man lacked sex appeal and loved Opera for christ sakes! 

 

How boring can a man get? 

 

Not to mention the fact that he had a major crush on Justin and the idea of anyone wanting to have anything to do with his lover made him want to seriously break someone’s neck. 

 

“Well, it’s just that you always spend time with Michael drinking and it’s not that I don’t like him, it’s just that why do you insist on bringing him on our dates? It’s not like I bring Emmett and Ted whenever we go out and let them watch when we fuck. It’s exasperating! Oh, and let’s not forget that little fiasco when you fucked me in your bedroom while he was outside the door asking you about the latest gossip at work? Honestly, Brian, I need the space and I would really like it if you respected my wishes. Our four-year anniversary is coming up and I’d really like it to be special this year.” Justin exclaimed as they made a sharp left at a corner.

 

Brian’s brows knitted in frustration as he rubbed his chin absently, a sign that he was in deep thought. He knew that Michael could be a pest sometimes and was a little clingy but the man was a freaking riot! He could tell smutty jokes with the best of em’. 

 

Also, the fact that Brian knew him since primary school made him feel like he was obligated to watch over the other man. 

 

Was he romantically involved with Michael, no fucking way! However, responsibly inclined to be there for him, sadly yes. 

 

Then there’s Debra Kinney AKA ‘Debbie’ at the Liberty Diner who loved Michael as if he were her son as well and as expected she gave Brian the responsibility to watch over him as a bigger brother of sorts. Big fucking whoop dee do~! 

 

All it took was that faithful meeting in their kindergarten class and Brian was doomed for life. He was sentenced to a fate much worse then those which were delivered in the seven levels of hell. 

 

‘Babysitting Michael Novotny for the rest of his fucking life.’

 

“Alright, fine. If you want more time to ourselves, I will grant you that pleasure, your majesty. I promise, everything will change soon, you’ll see.” Was Brian’s only reply before they crossed the threshold of Brian’s home and into the privacy of his bedroom. 

 

Yes, things would change…at least he hope they would.


	2. I Can't Get No Satisfaction!

**Author's Note** \- _This chapter is a lot longer, so, I hope this gives you more background on Brian's life so far. The action will happen in the next chapter so don't worry guys. Brian Kinney will get his time in the limelight to kick some zombie ass._

* * *

It was six on the dot when Brian clumsily stumbled out of bed. After throwing on something comfortable and walking down the stairs, he started a slow trek towards the living room. 

 

His lover had left shortly before sunrise and so Brian was excused from the usual sentiments he probably would have expressed if the blonde had stayed any longer.

 

Seeing Michael already situated on the sofa reading a Captain Astro comic book, he sat down and plucked up his own before reading a few lines. “Hey, don’t you have to go to work today?” inquired Michael in a whiny sort of tone. Having nothing to say in response, he only groaned half-heartedly and flung his head back in a dramatic act of exasperation. He then threw the comic down onto the sofa and got up to take care of his morning duties. As he walked up the stairs to the second level of the house, he noticed Ben emerging from his room already dressed in a tan suit with a brief case in hand.

 

“After you’re finished, come down to the kitchen. I have something I would like you to know.” Was all he said before stomping down the stairs. So much for pleasantries this morning! It seemed as if Ben woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. 

 

After taking great care of his hair and face, Brian took his time sorting out the many different brands of clothing he could wear to work today and sighed when he could not make up his mind. Settling on just a plain white-collared shirt with a red tie and black pants, he grabbed his nametag and proceeded out of his room. When he reached the bottom of the steps, he heard the voices of his two roommates arguing with eachother and his curiosity got the best of him. 

 

“All you ever do is sit on your fat ass all day reading comics and playing video games! You never do jack shit around here, Michael! When the fuck are you going to sort your fucking life out?!” cried Ben as he slammed his hand against the door for a dramatic effect. 

 

Michael stared back at him heatedly as he gripped what was left of what looked like the Captain Astro comic he had been previously reading. “Sort my fucking life out?! Is that what you want me to do? Well, fuck you, Ben. I don’t need to listen to a prick like you. I do whatever makes me happy and so you, my friend, can fuck off!” was his only reply before he went back to trying to fix his comic. Staring at Michael as if he were something foreign or something that he had found on the bottom of his shoe, Ben let out one final growl before making his exit into the kitchen. When he had gone, Brian recovered from his state of shock before following the man with the intention of asking him about what the fuck just happened.

 

When he entered the kitchen, he set about his daily task of getting the bread out of the cupboard and putting fresh water into the kettle to be heated. Then he turned to the other man, who was currently fuming at one end of the dinning table. “Okay, spill, what the fuck just happened in there?” demanded Brian as he placed both hands on his hips. 

 

Ben looked up from his cup of guava juice and sighed tiredly. He glanced into the living room, all the while scowling in contempt, before finally settling on Brian’s face. “It’s your best friend, Brian. He’s driving me insane with all those irritating habits of his! It’s getting to the point where I just want to strangle him. Wrap my fingers around his neck and shake until he chokes.” Muttered Ben darkly as a small smile reached his lips.

 

Taking a moment to seriously question Ben’s sanity, Brian perked up when he heard the water go off and he set about the task of making his tea. After he was done with that he toasted some bread and put jelly on it, then turned back to Ben, this time ready with a response. “Lay off him, alright? I know he fucks up sometimes but at least he’s trying!”

 

Scoffing at Brian’s attempt to soften up Michael’s character, Ben slowly got up from his chair and drained the last of his guava juice before going to stand before Brian and making his long awaited announcement. “Did you know that last night the door was open? Anyone could have just waltzed in and killed us in our sleep without us knowing anything. On the other hand, they could have stolen what little we have in this shit hole just as well.” He let out a sigh before he continued his tirade, “I’m not saying it was you, though.”

 

Brian sighed, relieved by that fact and wiped the perspiration off his forehead. Good thing, too. He would have just died if he had forgotten such a stupid thing.

 

“It was Michael.” Ben finished. Suddenly, Brian understood his reason for being so angry. Afterall, that was a _stupid_ thing to forget. _“Oh?”_ inquired Brian as he finished off his toast. So much for saving Michael’s character! The man was screwed. Before either man could say anything, however, the telephone rang and Brian cocked his head to listen to the message when the machine picked up. 

 

_RING! RING! RING!_

 

The machine picked up and over the speakers, Brian could hear Justin’s familiar voice. Running to catch him before he hung up, he skid down the hall and stopped when he realized Michael had beaten him to it. 

 

“Yeah, we’re fucking right now, Justin. Yep, can’t be bothered! I’m on top of Brian right now!” chuckling as the telephone was wrenched from his grip, he slapped his ass in a mocking matter and raced down the hall before Brian’s Prada boot could hit him. 

 

“You prick!!” shouted Brian as he watch the other man retreat into his room. 

 

Returning his attention to the task at hand, he greeted his lover. “No, Justin, we weren’t fucking. Are you crazy?! Ha! Only if I was desperate. Listen to me, how about I make it up to you by taking you to that nice place down by the plaza. Yeah, the one with the fish? Okay, 7:00 PM? Great, and Justin? If Michael ever tries to get you into a conversation, do me a favor, and ignore everything he says. Yes, because he’s full of shit. Okay, yeah. Take it easy. Oh and remember! Don’t jerk off at work or you might end up like Theodore. Yeah, okay I’ll lay off him. Geez, one would think you love the guy because of all the worrying you do for his benefit. Nevertheless, we all know whom you really love right? Right? Justin? HEY! ” Cried Brian as he shook the receiver in vain. Damn Justin and his mind tricks. Glancing at the clock on the table next to him, he realized how late he was for work and he slammed the receiver onto the cradle. Running around to quickly find his keys and his suitcase, he cursed when he crashed into a door and called out to his friend.

 

“Michael! Just do Ben and I a favor and for the rest of the day, just take down our messages all right? I’ll pick you up something from the drug store later. Stay the fuck out of trouble. You got that? Ben! See you, tonight, okay!” shouted Brian as he made a hasty retreat out the door and waved to his roommates from the street. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

_What he didn’t know, however, was that once he had left the phone had rung again and since Michael had disappeared somewhere and Ben was currently preoccupied with other pressing matters. The telephone was ignored. When the machine beeped to allow the message to be said, Justin’s voice filled the room again._

_“Brian? Hey, it’s me, again? I just checked my schedule and it looks like I have another appointment at that time. Could you make our dinner reservations at 9:00 PM instead of 7? Okay, I love you. Bye, bye, bye~!” Justin said cheerfully before hanging up._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jogging to the bus stop, he took a minute to fix his hair before running full speed towards what looked like the bus he took every fucking day to work. The one with the ugly looking heifer who seemed to be advertising some thyroid master on the back. Fucking advertisements! Nowadays, they had no taste whatsoever. As he reached the bus, he grumbled an apology to the driver and quickly made a beeline for the most isolated seat he could see. All the while, thinking of the many ways he could make his day better, for it seemed like it was only getting worse. 

 

When, he finally got off at his stop, he did his best to look as presentable as he could and waltzed into the shop only to find his obnoxious trainee coworker waiting at his desk. Scowling in contempt, he stalked the rest of the way there and glared hatefully at the boy, who if his memory served him correctly was one of Brian’s notorious conquests last week at Babylon. The boy looked frightened to have to face the wrath of Kinney but he did his best to maintain his composure. 

 

“Mr. O’ Riley had to stay home today because he got a bad case of the flu, he said he might be out for a long while. This would mean that you are the man in charge for the time being and today we have a new batch of people for you to train. So, it’s up to you to teach them the ropes,” the kid announced. 

 

Not having anything to say to the brat, he settled for glaring hatefully at the boy as if he brought all this misfortune on Brian and then he turned to sift through some documents. The boy would let him know when the frigging trainees came to visit and Brian would be ready. When he heard the slight cough though, he quickly looked up and frowned when he saw the many number of adolescents dressed in the same attire as he was. Running a hand through his unruly hair, he grabbed a clipboard and began to make his pitch, hopefully the brats were wise enough to know not to bug him.

 

“Alright, as you all know Mr. O’ Riley couldn’t be here today because he was sick and so I was placed in charge of showing you what to do and expect when working here at Television Shack. As you, all know there is no I in team. Team is an anagram of meat and so let us all ‘meat’, greet and make our customers feel like their special during their time here. No fucking around. Any questions?” inquired Brian. 

 

Searching around for a hand, he pointed to a girl way in the back and the group and listened intently for what she had to say.

 

“Yeah, two questions! One, are you gay? And two, how long did it take you to bullshit your way through that speech?”

 

Before he could answer, however, the ringing of a cell phone stopped him and he arched an eyebrow curiously as one of the trainees stepped to the side to take the call. 

 

“Yeah, Craig. He said he didn’t have Captain Astro # 7, no and he was a scumbag too! He tried to swindle $200 G’s for a fake copy of Captain Astro #1. What a prick, huh? But, look I’m in the middle of something, I’ll call you back later.” laughed the dark skinned boy before he quickly hung up and looked back at Brian. “You can continue, now.” He assured him and Brian seriously felt like killing someone. “Yeah, before we continue, let’s get one fucking thing straight! No calls from anybody except when it’s an emergency.” Roared Brian and he smirked when he saw the trainees cringe in fear. Preparing himself to continue his speech, he stopped when another telephone started ringing and he glared at the trainee who went to pick it up. After speaking with the person on the other line for a few seconds, the trainee held the receiver out to Brian with a smirk placed firmly on her lips. “It’s for you, Mr. Kinney.” She simpered.

 

Sneering at the rest of the trainees who began to laugh at Brian’s misfortune, he made a note to himself to kill them all later and quickly went to take the receiver from the snobby bitch holding it. “What?!” he barked into the offensive object. The voice heard next was the soothing one of his lover but due to his current situation, he was forced to speak in one-word responses and give half-assed explanations.

 

“You got my message, right?” inquired his lover and Brian assured him that he did, although he had no fucking idea about what it was they were discussing. He was too busy glaring at one of the trainees to care. “Well, then! I’ll be seeing you. Have a nice time at work today.” Finished Justin and Brian was relieved when the dial tone reached his ears. Slamming the receiver back onto the cradle, he went back to his original spot and finished his stupid speech, all the while ignoring the uproar of whines that broke out once he finished. If they pushed him, he would kill them. It was as simple as that.

 

Later that day, however, things only seemed to get worse when his stepdad, Carl Horvath, came to visit him. The message had come to him when he was in the middle of a very important pitch. The couple he was talking to, seemed interested in the store’s most expensive television set and so if Brian aced this…he would be able to claim the vacation of his dreams without any fuss at all! Nevertheless, fate, being the tricksome little bitch that she is, had to knee him in the groin and push him down the stairs when she let his stepdad ruin his mood. 

 

“Kinney! Your Dad’s here!” cried one of the trainees’, who was currently trying to stop the snickers he was emitting. Brian glared at him hatefully and cast a glance around the store before he made his way towards his old man. “He’s not my dad!” was his parting cry before he made it to the other man’s side.

 

If Carl had heard Brian’s last remark, he ignored it but it didn’t stop the perturbed look that crossed his face once his son came to stand at his side. “Debbie, wants you to come visit us later this week.” He began all the while eyeing the various television screens around the store, “I think it would be a nice gesture if you were to bring her flowers this time.” 

 

Glancing casually out the window, Brian only shrugged as he let his eyes drift back into the store and to another television screen that was speaking of some chemical plant explosion near---. 

 

“She misses you, you know. She wants you to be happy and to settle down. You’re too old for the current lifestyle you’re living! Why don’t you get into something trendy like advertising or something?” inquired the older man. Brian scoffed at that and he ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh, he turned to his stepdad and nodded. 

 

“Fine, just go. In case you didn’t notice, I’ve got customers.” Was his scathing reply and he left without waiting to say goodbye. 

 

Watching his son go, Carl felt his heart jerk as the rejection hit him full force, leaving him with an empty feeling inside. If anything, he only wanted Brian to appreciate him as a father figure. It didn’t help that they were never civil to eachother, especially around Debra. 

 

“Weren’t you leaving?” shouted Brian from across the room. Scowling in the man’s direction, he adjusted the scarf he was wearing and marched on out the door. Only time could mend their torn relationship.

 

After the man had left, Brian was unable to deal with these people any longer, he didn’t bother to explain himself when he clocked out and sighed with relief once he was back outside. He needed to get flowers right? As he walked down the street to the nearest florist, he thought about how badly the day was turning out and he couldn’t help but blame himself for getting out of bed this morning. He definitely should have called in sick. 

 

When he got into the store, the burst of fragrances, which hit his face, seemed to calm him for a bit, before he turned to the cashier with his request. “A dozen roses, please. It’s for my mom.” 

 

As she set about organizing the bouquet, he glanced casually out the window and frowned when he saw a homeless man on the lawn across the way, batting wildly at the pigeons around him. When he bent down to grab one and bring it close to his mouth, Brian couldn’t believe his eyes.

 

“What would you like the card to say? To a Fantastic Mother or You’re the Best, Mom?” inquired the girl and he glanced back at her. “The first one.” He said before looking back out the window but it seemed as if the man had gone for there was nothing left in his place. Maybe he was imaging things? After purchasing the flowers, he thought of the quickest way to get home and figured the bus was his best bet. As he waited for the bus to come, he glanced casually at a newspaper stand and noted the various accidents happening around the country. Apparently, just yesterday a man was found dead on the train tracks in some city not far from here. Before Brian could examine the headline further, the bus came to a stop before him and he quickly got on, not wanting to be left behind.

 

The first thing he noticed when he got on, however, was that unlike this morning everybody on the bus seemed very unhealthy looking. Women, men and children alike all had the same pallid looking faces and the bus was constantly filled with the sound of coughs. Finding a seat, far from the ill, he lowered the window down and stuck his head out in what he hoped was a good way to avoid catching anything. As he sat in that position for awhile, he could not help but notice from the corner of his eye, a woman on the street suddenly collapsing. His initial thought was that something freaky was going on but then he questioned that idea knowing that Pittsburgh was an unlikely place for something terrible to break out. Afterall, he had lived in the Pitts for a long time and nothing ever seem to happen here.

 

Once he got off the bus, he noticed the convenience store to his right and he ducked in to buy a pack of smokes. Remembering the promise, he made to Michael he got some snacks as well and went up to, the cash register to ring up his items. Since the cashier was, absent for the time being, he took a moment to look at the newspapers placed on the desk. Apparently, there was a chemical spill just west of here. According to the papers, whoever got in contact with the chemical die---.

 

“Hello, my friend! Is that all for you today?” asked a kind Hindu man behind the cash register. Brian was about to reply when he heard the unmistakable cry of a siren just outside the store and he glanced out the door to see what was happening. Throwing down a few dollars, he quickly made his exit and ran the rest of the way to his street where it looked like an accident had occurred. Briefly captivated by the chaotic scene, he paid no attention to where he was going and he gasped when he bumped into someone.

 

“Brian? Brian Kinney! Hey, it’s me, Lindsay Peterson! How are you? We haven’t seen eachother since…college? You look great!” cried the unmistakable voice of his old friend. Smiling in response, he embraced her tightly and quickly broke away so that he could examine her more closely. “You look just as pleasant. Is that Prada you’re wearing?” he asked while examining the dress closely. She nodded happily and twirled to emphasize the frills that decorated it. “Yes, Daddy bought it for me! Isn’t it lovely?” she cried. 

 

Oh, that’s right. Lindsay had the cash to afford it. He had almost forgotten the fact that the only thing Lindsay Peterson had going for her in college was the cash and Brian envied her for that. Afterall, he had to practically sell an arm and a leg to get the precious Prada boots which he now wore on his feet. Sadly, though, they were an old addition but at least he could take pride in the fact that he owned a pair.

 

“So, how are you? Last time I heard you were still dating what-his-face?” inquired Lindsay. 

 

“Justin Taylor.” He replied automatically. He hated when people forgot simple details like that. 

 

“Ah, yes. Justin! Well, I hope that the both of you will come to the party I am throwing for Mel tonight! It’ll be just fabulous! In addition, wouldn’t it be a great way to celebrate both our relationships? You have been with Justin…what? Two years, now?” she asked excitedly. 

 

“Four years, we’ve been together for four years now.” He corrected once again and suddenly he was hit with a sense of nostalgia. 

 

“Well, if you come to our party, you can celebrate with us! C’mon! It’ll be fun.” Lindsay declared and Brian could not help but crack a small grin in response. “Sorry, Linds. Nevertheless, Justin and I have other plans. We’re eating out tonight at---.” Abruptly Brian stopped his response when he realized something very important. He had forgotten to make reservations for their dinner tonight, shit! Excusing himself from their conversation, Brian raced the rest of the way home and crashed through the front door, making a beeline straight for the telephone. He grabbed the phonebook off the floor and began dialing.

 

When the line picked up, he sighed with relief but cursed when the man on the other end told him to stay on the line. 

 

“Want me to give you your messages?” asked Michael from the living room. Not waiting for Brian to give him an answer, he began reading off a piece of raggedy paper that he had written his notes on. “ Your mother called about you having dinner at her place tonight, Justin called about the dinner you were supposed to have tonight and your mother called back to invite me to dinner tonight as well.” 

 

“What?!” cried Brian and he gasped when the line was picked up again. “Yes, I wanted to know if there were any available seating for tonight at 7:00 PM? No? Are you serious!?” he screeched. Slamming the telephone on to the cradle, he continued to make violent gestures in the air as his anger overcame him. 

 

“Yeah, that thing about your mom and I having dinner tonight? That was a total lie, man. I’m sorry” Michael gulped as he stared at his friend in fear. 

 

However, before either man could say another word, the telephone rang again and Brian picked up. “Brian, hey, it’s me Justin! Are we set for tonight?” asked his lover. Brian froze on the spot as a new batch of sweat broke out on his brow. “Um, uhhh.” Was his reply. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Michael make a ‘W’ sign with his fingers and Brian’s eyes widened considerably. “Yeah, about that…um there was a mix up at the place and well long story short we don’t have reservations.” Brian said timidly. Afterall he knew how angry Justin could get if provoked. “ You mean, you didn’t book our reservations? Now what, then?!” questioned his lover angrily. Gulping down the spit, which seemed to have collected in his throat, he let out one single croak. “Woody’s?” And he was greeted with a dial tone. “Fuck!” he cried as he slammed the receiver back down onto the cradle again.

 

Ignoring Michael’s questioning, he grabbed the flowers and raced out the door and down the street. He knew that this was going to do some damage and he needed to explain himself. Hauling a taxi down, he quickly distributed the money and impatiently waited as the man took his time driving to his destination. When they finally made it, Brian broke into a run and smacked right into the door as he fumbled clumsily for the buzzer. “Justin!” He cried. When the intercom went off and Emmett’s voice was heard, Brian begged to be let in. 

 

“Fuck off, Brian! Justin doesn’t want to talk to you!” Answered Ted’s heated voice and Brian growled in annoyance. Eyeing his surroundings, Brian noticed a rose fence leading up to Justin’s window and he smirked deviously as a plan formed. Minding the thorns, he slowly made his way up the thatch of roses and gasped as he was pricked multiple times. Slowly but surely, he made his way up and when he reached the top, he pounded on the window. For a few minutes, nothing was heard and Brian began to fear that they may just leave him there but suddenly the window opened and Justin pulled him inside. Placing a sloppy kiss on the side of his lover’s mouth, he took a minute to stalk over to Ted and was about to rip into him when Justin’s voice stopped him. 

 

“What are you doing here, Brian?” he asked. 

 

Turning to face his lover, he gulped and made his announcement. “I’m sorry for fucking everything up.”

 

Justin eyed him tiredly and laughed to himself. “Sorry’s bullshit, remember? Besides, I should have known that you would not hold true to your promise. You’re always thinking of yourself, afterall.” He whispered. Shaking his head in denial, Brian made a step forward and frowned when Ted stepped in front of him “Haven’t you done enough damage? Leave him alone!” he said and Brian had to stop himself from striking the other man. 

 

“You’re always making me promises that you never keep. Like, remember, you promised you’d stop smoking but it seems like you’ve only started smoking more since that talk we had.” Justin whispered brokenly. Was this what all the fuss was about? Smoking? Well, shit. He could quit! “Look, I’ll stop. See this? It’s going in the trash.” He declared as he took out the new pack of smokes he had bought that day and threw it in the trash bin. Although Ted and Justin seemed unfazed by this gesture, Emmett was regarding him with a sense of wonder and acceptance. Brian took a little strength from his support and he prepared to say something more but frowned when Justin turned to retreat into his room. Ignoring Ted’s sudden screech of protest, he shoved the man aside and went after his lover. When they were both in the room, he went over to the other man’s side and showed him the flowers. 

 

“These are for you.” He said and he sighed in relief when he saw the familiar sunshine smile light up his lover’s features. However, the smile dimmed a bit when Justin read the card, when he finished the smile was wiped off his face entirely.

 

“To a Fantastic Mother?!” he spat out scathingly.

 

Brian let out a long-suffering sigh, as the moment grew increasingly worse. Suddenly, the idea of crying seemed a whole lot appealing. Maybe Justin would take pity on him and then they could have make-up sex? 

 

Turning to look back at his lover, he frowned when he saw the wounded look on the blonde man’s face. “Brian, I think we need a break. “ was all he said before Brian felt the icy cold grip of fear take hold of his heart. “A break?” he squeaked. Suddenly, the world around him was crashing down and all he could do was stand there…slack jawed and cold. “We need to sort out our priorities. Unless you start deciding what’s more important to you, I don’t know where our relationship is going to go. I love you, Brian. If you can’t give me the time of day, what do you think is gonna happen to that love? It’s just going to keep getting duller and duller until it’s all gone and as hard as it is for me to say this, I don’t know if I can love a man who disregards me all the time.” Whispered his lover and all Brian wanted to do was curl up on himself. 

 

Trying to scrape as much dignity as he could off of the floor, he let out a shaky breath and stood up from the bed. “So, that’s it then? After four fucking years, you’re going to give up on us?!” he shouted, frustration pouring itself into his every word. “ME?” shouted Justin; “You’re the one that never displayed any type affection towards me! We never went out to a proper place at any time in our relationship, not even once! Everyday, we would go to Babylon and Woody’s! Everyday! And I’m sorry for bursting your bubble but I don’t want to keep going to the same place over and over like all those sad fuckers! If anything I have been, far more patient then I should have and I think it’s about time you left Mr. Kinney. Just go.” Was his final remark as he shoved Brian out the door and slammed it in his face.

 

Gripping the flowers, tightly in his hand, he turned to glare at the two other men in the room and lashed out on the nearest one. As Brian’s fist collided with Ted’s cheek, the man let out a loud yell and fell back into Emmett, who only gave Brian a look of pity. Scrubbing his hands over his face in frustration, he trudged out the door and out of Justin’s life.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

When he reached Woody’s, he paused just outside to glare hatefully at a couple that seemed to be making out in the corner. Greatly wishing that Justin was at his side, so, they could do a little making out of their own, he sighed sadly and looked away. Tossing the flowers into the trashcan off to the side, he held a hand to his face in order to stop the tears that threaten to fall. He didn’t need the flowers anymore…besides they reminded him of Justin. Walking into the bar, he spotted Michael in the corner, sat down and let himself break down finally.

 

Looking up at Brian’s arrival, Michael blanched when he saw the tear stained face of Brian Kinney and he let the breath that he was holding out. “What the fuck happened to you?” He demanded. 

 

“Justin left me, Michael. He left me.” Whispered the broken man as he scrubbed at his eyes in frustration.. 

 

Blinking in surprise, Michael’s look of concern turn into one of anger and he slammed his fist on the table. “Fuck him, man! He was just a twinkie who overstayed his visit for way too long anyways. It’s time to move on. Just forget him!” he shouted. Brian shook his head sadly and took a swig out of Michael’s bottle. Forget Justin? Never. As much as he hated to admit it, he loved the man and he would never forget him. “Awww, don’t let him get you down. Afterall, it’s not like there aren’t any other guys you can fuck? C’mon! Where’s the Brian Kinney we all know and love?” Michael muttered as he sorted the peanuts around in the dish on the table. 

 

“Well, that asshole has taken a time off today to drown in his misery okay? Now let me do what I came here for!” Brian griped and he gestured for more drinks. As the men continued to drink themselves into the night, the crowd died out and they were soon left with only a handful of people in the bar. Popping a salted peanut into his mouth, Brian chewed thoughtfully before speaking again, “He said that if he stayed with me, we would spend the rest of our lives going to Babylon and Woody’s like all these sad fuckers.” 

 

Gulping down the rest of his beer, Michael wiped his lips with the back of his hand and responded in a slightly miffed tone, “That is harsh, man! Who does he think he is? These are all rich-interesting characters!” 

 

“Like who?” Brian questioned in confusion. Nobody was interesting in this dump!

 

Gesturing to various people around them, Michael listed off as much bullshit as he could come up with and was pleased with Brian’s laughter. When they were finished debating whether or not the Sap was related to the New England Mafia, Michael decided that it was time to set his friend straight. 

 

“Now, listen to me, Brian. I’m not going to bombard you with cliches like there’s plenty of fish in the sea or wait and one day you’ll be happy but I will tell you this…at least it’s not the end of the world!” 

 

Suddenly a bang at the door broke the stillness of the night and everyone in the bar turned to look at it. “We’re closed!” shouted the bartender. Whoever was at the door let out a lonely moan in response as they shuffled away. Chuckling at the man’s misfortune, Brian heard Michael’s comment of ‘What a tit!’ before he decided that they too should hurry home. Ben would be furious once he found out that they had stayed out late again. After paying their bill and walking out of the bar, Brian and Michael found themselves breaking out into their rendition of the B-52’s ‘Love Shack’, when the couple that Brian had seen earlier attracted their attention. “Oh, damn! Look at the girl go! Easy there, you might be pushing your man too far!” shouted Michael as they returned to their singing. Little did they know that the moment they turned their backs, the man that the woman was aggressively kissing had suddenly keeled over as she bit into his neck, killing him instantly. 

 

“Man, it smells rancid out here! Maybe’s it’s you eh, Mikey?” laughed Brian as he stumbled down the sidewalk. “Ha ha, you’re such a comedian, Kinney!” was his friend’s slurred response and they continued to sing a batchful of oldies as they made their way home. Secure in the idea, that tomorrow would be another day and that all would be well.


	3. I Can't Get No Satisfaction!

**Author's Note** : _Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait! This took forever to write because of Ray's constant meddling. For the first time since I started writing this, Ray has taken upon his self the responsibility to put in a few of his own stuff. Which would be nice except that it's *my* fanfiction! *grumbles* So, if this seems really long and drawn out---I apologize on that dope's behalf. Also, if you notice any inconsistencies or spelling errors---please don't fret! I will be positively sure that the last chapter is a hundred times more enjoyable for all of you! Well, have a nice ride everyone and don't forget to let us know what you think~!_

* * *

The house was empty. At least that’s what they thought once they got settled in. Not a single sound was heard, except for their shallow breathing. When five more minutes passed and his ass had fallen asleep, Michael abruptly jumped to his feet and turned to face Brian.

 

“Let’s read comics!” he suggested and before Brian could say a word, he was off to fetch his collection. As he watched the other man disappear around the corner, he leaned back against the sofa and stared blankly at the ceiling. He thought about the day he had just gone through and the break up. He still couldn’t comprehend the fact that it was over between Justin and him. It was so surreal. Almost like a movie and instead of being the protagonist that gets his heart ripped out, Brian was in the audience laughing his ass off at the person’s naivete. He didn’t want things to end like this! 

 

“Hey, look what I found! It’s that limited edition Captain Astro action figure you bought for yourself that one year, before giving it to me for my tenth birthday.” squealed Michael excitedly.

 

Looking up from the sofa, he let a small smile grace his lips as Michael tossed the figurine in his direction. Catching it in mid-air, he took a minute to examine the tacky figure before setting it back down on the counter. “Hey, Mikey? Do you think I’ll ever get Justin back?” whispered Brian as he stared at his shoes in deep concentration. 

 

He heard his friend let out an exasperated sigh, before the sofa sank under the other’s weight again. “Listen to me, Brian. Fate has a funny way of fucking up other people’s lives. If you and Justin were really meant to be together then I’m sure that you’ll be able to fix things. If not, then oh well, there is always Babylon!” the other man said cheerfully but before Brian could respond the door to their home was thrown open and Ben tumbled in. 

 

“Christ! What the fuck happened to you?” cried Michael as he scurried over to the man’s side. From where Brian was sitting he could evidently see, the bloody hand that Ben was trying to shield away from Michael’s sight. “It’s nothing!” he snarled as he quickly made his way up the stairs. Casting a wary glance in Brian’s direction, Michael slowly made his way up the stairs to see if he could help the injured man and Brian was left to himself in the dark living room again.

 

As he sat there, he started to drift back to his original thoughts based on his lover when the sound of yelling reached his ears. For a brief moment, Brian was reminded of a time when he was ten and he had overheard his parents fighting. It was something he did not want to relive but because of his current state, his mind had triggered a memory that he had hoped was gone forever.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

_”Christ, Debra! He’s not a fucking faggot! Why do you have to encourage him to be something he isn’t?!” cried a frustrated Jack Kinney. From the shadows in the hallway outside the room, Brian cringed at his father’s loud outburst and he couldn’t help but let the tears fall as he heard the fight get more intense._

_“He can be whatever the fuck he wants to be, Jack! If he wants to be, gay let him be gay! And I’ll tell you this, if you aren’t going to be supportive of your son, then I want you to get the fuck out of this house this instant!” shouted the woman as she slammed whatever it was she was holding against the door. Trying to regain his composure, Brian scurried out of the shadows and back into the sanctuary of his room, where he knew if he stayed quiet, would protect him from the outside world._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

He was abruptly pulled out of the memory, when a frustrated Ben stomped towards him, gave him one good glare, picked up the figurine from the table and chucked it out the window. Clearly surprised by Ben’s sudden aggression, Brian looked up when a frantic Michael let out a loud screech.

 

“You fucking asshole! That fucking figurine cost Brian $s00 bucks! Are you out of you freaking mind?” he cried.

 

Ignoring the man’s comment, Ben continued to go on a rampage throughout the living room, trashing things left and right. When it seemed like he had finally calmed down, he sat heavily on the sofa and rubbed the dry blood off of his hand. “It’s 3 in the fucking morning and I can’t even relax because of my fucking room mates who won’t leave me the fuck alone!” he roared.

 

Not wanting to have a fist in his face for saying a nasty remark, Brian could only say the first thing that came to his mind. “I’m sorry, Ben. We came home after a rough night and Michael, here, was trying to keep me entertained. Justin and I have broken it off. So, I’m trying to drown my sorrows by doing something to get my mind of it all.” 

 

Shooting Brian a sympathetic look, Ben let out a tired sigh before clamping his hand down on the other man’s shoulder. “Just keep it down alright? I’ve had a rough day as well and I’d like to get some shut eye.” Was all he said before he started towards the stairs. However, when he had reached the foot of the very first step, he heard Michael make a derisive comment and before he knew it, he was lashing out in frustration again. Seeing Ben’s temper flare anew, Brian threw himself between his roommate and best friend, all the while hoping that he would get away unscathed from the whole ordeal---with both balls intact. “Stop it! We’re friends, Ben! Take it easy, will ya!?” barked Brian as he gave the bigger man a mighty shove. Ben cast him a withering glare and then he pointed accusingly at Michael. “He’s not my fucking friend! He’s an idiot! And you’re an even bigger one for hanging out with him. Why do you always stand up for him, huh?” he cried as he jabbed the finger into Michael’s chest. The other man glared hatefully back at Ben and swiped at the arm that was in his way.

 

For a moment, Brian stared at Ben as if he was from another planet and it was because of this distraction that he was unable to comprehend Ben’s next words. “Sorry? Could you repeat that?” he whispered. Ben turned his stony gaze onto Brian and he made his scathing remark once more, “You’re a loser, Brian. You’re 29, you live with your retarded best friend, your job is for shit and you lost your lover. Your entire life is fucked up! And about the breakup---I presume Justin was the one who did the dumping? Sort your fucking life out or else it’s only going to get worse…!”

 

Brian flinched a bit as the words struck him like a million bullets. It wasn’t like he couldn’t handle Ben’s trash talk but the fact that it had struck real close to home caught him strangely unprepared. As a few moments passed, the silence grew and Brian had to sit back down in order to keep his knees from buckling. As he continued to stare at the space before him, Michael’s soft voice suddenly caught his attention. 

 

“By the way, prick, how the fuck did you get that cut on you hand anyway? It’s still bleeding in case you didn’t notice?” 

 

Ben’s head swiveled around to face the smaller man and if possible, his glare only seemed to intensify. He regarded the man with a look of disdain before he responded in a harsh tone, “Some bum bit me as he was trying to snatch my wallet and I wasn’t able to stop the bleeding.” He waved his hand in an exaggerated manner as if to prove his point. Michael’s only response was a look of surprise and then confusion. “Why the fuck did he bite you for?” He inquired as he took the hand and brought it close to his face for further inspection. The other man gave him an incredulous look before snatching his hand back. 

 

Backing up a bit he turned to make his exit but stopped at the entrance of the hallway to say one last thing, “How the fuck should I know? It’s not like I could have asked him why? In case you didn’t hear me quite clearly, I was a bit preoccupied with trying to get my wallet back!” 

 

Not bothering to wait for the man’s response to his outburst, Ben finally made his way up the stairs and out of sight. 

 

Apparently, that was the end of the conversation and as the day grew to a close, the occupants of the small house were left tired and irritated. Michael was left staring after Ben with his jaw clenched and his hands shaking. “Next time I see that prick, he’s dead.” Was all he said before he left the living room as well.

 

For awhile Brian just sat there thinking back on the events that had just happened but the more he thought about it, the more the pain in his head made itself evident. He could no longer tolerate it. Climbing to his feet, he shuffled his way to the kitchen where he stopped to look around. Spotting a dry erase board hanging on the fridge off to the side, he snatched up the marker and quickly jotted down something before collapsing onto a nearby chair and surrendering himself to the clutches of sleep.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

A ray of light hit his face at an irritating angle and Brian couldn’t help but let out a growl of protest but it only came out as a garbled moan. He snapped awake abruptly as a pool of his own saliva flooded in his mouth and he had to swallow fast in order to keep from choking. As he struggled to find his bearings, he realized he had fallen asleep in his work clothes and then it hit him. He suddenly remembered yesterday’s events, the break-up and Ben’s unusual behavior. As he fumbled around to find some clue as to why he was in such a state, he noticed on a nearby clock that it was almost time for work. However, before he could move again, a few rays of light slipped in through the blinds and Brian had to shield his eyes.

 

Across the way, a glare caught on something and Brian was forced to look up. On the dry erase board in sloppy but illegible writing---was a message. It read, ‘Sort your life out, get Justin back, and buy new milk.’

 

He groggily got to his feet and made his way to the living room. Peering in he caught sight of Michael who lay on his stomach with his face in the pillow, his snores vibrating loudly throughout the room. Kicking the side of the sofa lightly, Brian started slightly when the other man snapped awake and looked blearily up at him. 

 

“Want anything from the store?” he asked as he shifted from one foot to another. 

 

Michael eyed him curiously for a few moments before setting his face back into the pillow. Seconds passed and then a muffled reply was heard.

 

“Getsh me sum twinkeesh.”

 

Brian let out a quiet laugh in response and then turned on his heel to make his way to the front door. Stopping for five seconds to half-heartedly fix his hair in the mirror, he then snatched the door open and walked out into the morning air. 

 

Perhaps if he had been paying more attention to what was going on around him, he would have noticed the crashed vehicles in front of the house or the bodies littering the sidewalk. Yet, his current state of mind blocked these images from his sight and all he saw was himself. He walked briskly and quietly, unconsciously avoiding obstacles in his way such as turned over trashcans and dark red puddles in the streets. Afterall, he didn’t want to ruin his prada boots. He briefly looked up when he saw a jogger run past him with a look of sheer terror on his face but dismissed him when he spotted a silver dollar on the floor. He picked it up, of course, and he winced as he tripped on a ledge in his moment of distraction. Spotting the mini mart on the corner, he made a beeline for the doorway and stepped inside.

 

The first thing he noticed was that the usual cashier was missing. This was odd since the door was wide open and Hindu music was evidently playing in the background. Brian just figured it was safe to assume that the man was in the back somewhere counting his stock. So, he shrugged and went about his business.

 

He walked to the back to get himself a diet ice tea and clucked his tongue in annoyance when he stepped in something wet. No, red…he bent down a little to examine it closely and scowled when he noticed a couple of spilt bottles of punch off to the side. “Bad customer service…” he mumbled as he pulled open one of the freezer doors to get his drink. He would have to complain to that guy about the spill, otherwise someone could get hurt. However, the guy was no where to be seen at the moment and Brian chose not to make a big deal out of it.

 

After making his selection, he made his way to the counter---not forgetting to grab a twinkie pack from the snack stand near the magazines. Once he had gotten to the cash register, however, he realized that he was short on cash and he didn’t want to steal the items. So, after waiting for a good three minutes and not getting any service Brian decided to leave what he could.

 

“Hey, nelson, I owe you two bucks!” 

 

With that said he quickly made his exit and headed in the direction of home. As he walked across the street, he noticed a drunk making his way towards him with his arms outstretched. As he came closer, Brian had the sinking suspicion that the man was going to ask for cash and before the other man could even make a move, Brian was shoving him away in frustration.

 

“Fuck off!” he cried as he trudged past the drunk, “I barely had enough cash for the store, so, drop dead!"

 

He heard the drunk let out an angry moan but chose to ignore it as he trudged past the fence and into the comfort of his home. After shutting the door as quietly as he could, he walked over to where the sofa was and turned on the television. 

 

Yet, as he changed the channels he got the same old shows and after going through their cable a few times, he finally settled on the news. The announcer was a flustered looking woman, who may have been at one point very pretty but due to her obviously frazzled state---much of the illusion was gone. She sorted through the papers on her desk before clearing her throat and stating her announcement.

 

_“These mindless things seem to show aggressive behavior towards their victims and a bite can be very---“_

 

Just as she was about to finish her statement, Brian heard Michael’s muffled voice near the window and he turned his attention to the other man.

 

“What?” He asked hesitantly.

 

Michael turned back to him and gestured towards the window. “In the garden, there is a man. He’s just standing there…” 

 

Brian gave him a skeptical look before tiredly getting to his feet to see for himself. He stopped an inch away from Michael to give him one of his patented tongue in cheek expressions before swiping the curtain aside to look outside.

 

Indeed, there was a man in the garden.

 

He let out a small sound of displeasure and quickly made his way for the back door. Yet as he put his hand on the knob, he hesitated for a fracture of a second and looked back at his friend. Michael gave him a shrug in return and instead of making up some bullshit reason for not wanting to go out there, Brian scrounged up some courage and stepped outside. He could do this. He’d been to Babylon and Woody’s a thousand times and was able to recall the rare occasions when the joints got a few miscreants on their hands. Luckily, he knew exactly how to get rid of troublemakers but the man in the garden was obviously much bigger than him, so, this was a much more complicated challenge.

 

When he was satisfied with the distance that he had placed between him and the weirdo, he called out. 

 

“Hello? Hello? In case you didn’t know you’re on my fucking property, so, I’d advise you to get your fat ass out of here before I call the cops!”

 

He waited for the man to respond with an obscenity or an excuse but none came. Instead he let out a subdued moan and shifted from side to side. Next to him, he could hear Michael’s breath quicken and if anything, this only made him more nervous. As they stood there impatiently waiting for the man’s reaction, Brian finally let out a frustrated huff and bent down to pick up a stone.

 

“What are you---“ Michael inquired in confusion and gasped suddenly when he realized that Brian had chucked the rock at the man’s head.

 

For a brief moment, the man did nothing and he seemed to ignore the sudden action but before Brian or Michael could say anything else---he turned around. 

 

Two seconds passed and all the men could do was stare back at each other. The ‘drunk’ man’s skin was a sickly pallid color and one could clearly see the white sheen over his eyes. From the corner of his lips came a small stream of saliva and his hands had something red on them. 

 

For a moment, nobody seemed compelled to move until Brian let out a loud laugh---which if anything startled both Michael and the mystery man.

 

“Oh my god…he’s so fucking drunk!” cried Brian as he let out an amused chuckle. From his side, Michael let out a laugh of his own before calling out rudely to the man.

 

“Hey, there! How much have you had, old man?”

 

Apparently, Michael’s shout got the man’s attention because for the first time since they stumbled upon him, he was now moving towards them! Their initial reaction was to step back but if anything the man seemed to only follow their steps.

 

“Oh, he likes you!” laughed Michael as the ‘drunk’ stumbled towards Brian, “I think he wants a kiss.”

 

“Fuck you!” Brian snickered as he held up his hands to block the upcoming bulk of a man. “Look, I’m really flattered and all but I just got out of a relationship and---“ 

 

He let out a high pitch yelp as the man suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders and brought him down to the ground. Panicking for a brief second, Brian shoved at the man’s shoulders in an attempt to push him back. “Michael!” he screeched, “Get this fucker off of me!” 

 

From the side, he heard Michael cackle and Brian let out a squawk of indignation as the man made his way back towards the house. “Two seconds!” he called before he disappeared into the building and Brian was left with the asshole, who at the current moment looked as if he wanted to gnaw on Brian’s neck. Kicking his legs frantically, Brian started when he heard Michael call out.

 

“This way, please!” 

 

Grabbing the man by his chin, Brian turned both of their attention to the crouching Michael who had in his hand a camera and he gasped as a bright flash went off. Disoriented by the light, he lost his grip on the man’s chin and for a brief moment his heart froze when he felt the fetid breath against his neck. 

 

“Michael!! Get him off!! God!” he screamed

 

When he felt the weight lifted off him, he jumped to his feet ready to punch the fucker but Michael had shoved him quite a few yards away and he took the time to really examine the other man. “What’s up with his eyes?” whispered Michael as he stared at the men, obviously quite perturbed. Brian realized then that before they had that little scuffle, he hadn’t really known just who this guy was but after a close examination of his chest, Brian could make out a name tag labeled ‘Malcolm’.

 

“Listen, Malcolm! I told you to fuck the hell off and if you don’t get out of here now…I’m going to have to get physical.” 

 

Apparently, the other man didn’t really seem to take Brian’s warning seriously for he was now walking back towards the duo and Brian braced himself for what was to come. When the man finally reached him, Brian gave him one good glare before shoving him roughly away.

 

“FUCK OFF!” he screamed and he watched as the man stumbled backwards onto the lawn. Time froze as the big frame fell right onto a pole jutting out of the ground.

 

A beat. Two beats. There was a brief silence and then Michael screamed.

 

Brian’s hands rose to his mouth in horror as he watched the blood gush from the man’s stomach. In that moment, he knew he was going to be sent straight to hell for committing a murder. He could see it now…

 

~*~*~*~*~*~ 

 

_Through the window, Brian could see his lover._

_His golden hair was shining brightly in the dim light and his blue eyes seemed oddly clear despite the somber situation. As always Justin Taylor looked fucking fabulous and Brian could not help but feel bad for being in the presence of something so beautiful. He was horrific looking unlike his partner. At the age of 40, the wrinkles had settled in and his hair had mostly turned gray. He had on the traditional orange attire that all inmates wore and on his wrists settled heavy manacles, which held him to the table._

_Justin regarded him for a minute or two before he opened his mouth to speak. “I found someone else.” Was all he said and Brian felt his whole world crumble before him. “He treasures me and treats me with respect. I’m going to spend my life with him, Brian, and I just wanted to tell you that I’m taking the baby with me!”_

_“WHAT?!” cried Brian as he made to stand but was yanked back down by the chains binding him._

_Justin gave him a look of disdain before lifting himself gracefully from the chair. As he walked away, his voice filled the room that they were in and Brian was unable to ignore it. “I hope you continue to keep up your end of the bargain and pay child support. Your last check bounced and so Ben had to withdraw some of ‘his’ own money to help me. Perhaps, if you’re good and you give me all your money this time, I’ll let you visit Gus for a day? Afterall, Ben hates visitors and I soooo love to please him.”_

_As Justin’s form was fully enclosed in the darkness of the room, Brian yanked viciously at the chains before letting out an anguished yell._

_“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”_

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

He was abruptly brought back to reality by Michael who was shaking him by his shoulders. If anything, his friend looked like he had shot his dog and his eyes were bloodshot with unshed tears. His small form shook as he embraced Brian and all he could do was hug him back. For a brief moment, nothing was heard except both of the men’s shallow breathing but then a wet sound broke the stillness of the morning and Brian’s attention was on the fallen man again. 

 

He could not comprehend what he was seeing. There was nothing logical about the situation. The man should have died when he was impaled on that pole but from what he was seeing now, he was currently trying to pull himself up. 

 

Michael must have heard the grunts because he had automatically tensed against Brian and turned to see what he was staring at. It would have been a comical scene if it weren’t so serious. Both of the men’s jaws had dropped as they watched in horror, the events that took place. When the man had swiftly gotten up off the floor, he set his sights on Brian and Michael again---then made a beeline straight for them.

 

Brian’s eyes landed on the gaping hole in his stomach and his initial reaction was to run back into the house. As he made a U-turn to make for the door, his eyes widened considerably when he noticed that two more men had joined them in the garden.

 

“Mikey…” he whispered and he started when the small man let out another scream.

 

He slapped his hand against the other’s mouth and quickly grabbed him by the waist as the two ran for the house. Behind them, they heard the angry moans of the men in the garden but they were abruptly cut off by the slamming of the door to the house.

 

“Brian, what the fuck is happening?” Michael whispered as his gaze darted to the door and back to Brian.

 

Instead of answering his friend, Brian made for the telephone on the sofa and immediately started to dial 911. “Shit, it’s engaged!” he cried as the busy signal sounded loudly in his ear. From the floor, he heard Michael let out small whimper and he set about the task of dialing again.

 

“Zombies…they’re fucking zombies, Brian. It’s just like that movie we saw last weekend! You know…what was it called?? Evil-something?” 

 

Brian briefly looked up at his friend and winced as another busy tone rang in his ear.

 

“Evil dead?” he quipped.

 

Michael seemed to ponder the answer for a moment then shook his head. “Well, yeah. That is a zombie movie…but I meant that ‘one’ movie about the town being overrun with zombies? I think it’s called Resident Evil©?”

 

Brian cast his eyes heavenward and then growled hatefully at the telephone when the busy tone rang in his ear once more. “Fuck this!” he cried as he slammed the receiver back down onto the cradle. He cast a wary glance towards the window and looked back at his friend. “Are they still out there?” 

 

Michael gave him a frightened look before finally getting up to check. Swiping the curtains aside he jumped back in fright when he came face to face with the men, who were trying in vain to get inside. “Yeah, they’re still out there.” He called before shutting the curtains again.

 

“What should we do?” inquired Brian as he scrubbed his face tiredly, “Have a sit down?” 

 

Michael shrugged his shoulders in response and made his way for the couch, settling on one side of it, he picked up the remote and started scanning the channels for the news. Following his friend’s example, Brian sat himself down on the other side of the sofa and watched as news after news popped up on all the stations. Deciding on the one that they were watching earlier, Brian and Michael leaned forward slightly to listen to the announcer’s words.

 

_”The president is currently suffering from a bite that was given to him during a rally in Washington D.C. Whether or not the effects of the virus will harm him is still unknown and government officials are still very concerned.”_

 

Michael turned to him, with a look of apprehension on his face and then he turned back to the television set. “You think this is the same thing?” he whispered as they both watched the woman grab something off the screen.

 

_I’ve just received some new information directly from the house of representatives. Apparently, the worse hit places are going to be quarantined and help stations are going to be set up. Various states are now undergoing martial law, so, it would be best if all people were to stay in their homes and avoid any further contact with the assailants. It is unknown whether this is connected with Al Queda or the terrorists but we will be sure to keep you updated with any upcoming news. Remember! Keep all windows and doors locked! Make no attempt to stop the assailants.”_

 

Yet, before either man could react to this newfound information, a quiet moan erupted from Brian’s side and he leapt to his feet when he realized that one of those things had made it inside the house. “OH SHIT!” he cried as he threw a pillow at its face. 

 

Michael let out a high pitch shriek as the thing raised its arms in an attempt to latch onto one of them. “Get him!” he screamed as he started to throw random things in the zombie’s direction. 

 

“Ohhhh! He’s got an arm off!” cried Brian as he stumbled further away in an attempt to avoid being harmed. 

 

Suddenly spotting an ashtray off to the side of the table between them, he grabbed it then ran up to the thing and banged the heavy glass against its head as hard as he could. A sickening crunch was heard in the empty room and the creature collapsed in a heap. 

 

Brian panted heavily for a moment as he looked down at the thing on the floor; a stream of blood seemed to already be forming on the beige carpet of the living room but he ignored it. Instead he looked at the glass ashtray in his hand and smirked to himself in triumph.

 

“I’m going to close the door now.” Michael whimpered and he looked up abruptly to watch his friend set about the task of putting the various locks on the door.

 

When both had settled down on the sofa again and their breathing had calmed, Brian broke the silence. “Did you see its head go?” He asked as he examined his hands closely. Michael gave him a bewildered look but stopped when the announcer on television came back on. 

 

_”This just in…the most effective way to dispose of these things is to get them in the head. That seems to kill them almost instantly.”_

 

Glancing at the window across the way, Brian could easily make out the writhing forms of the men still trying to eagerly break the glass. As he watched, the zombies’ actions grow more aggressive; a plan started to form in his head. Getting up from the sofa, he made for the back door but a tug on his arm stopped him from completing the trip.

 

“What the fuck, Mikey?” he griped as the man’s grip grew tighter. “What the fuck are you planning to do, Brian? As long as we are in here, we are safe! Don’t try anything rash!” came the harsh reply from his friend. Yet, before he could respond, the sound of glass shattering brought both of their attention to the window and they paled when they saw the hands grasping the empty air before them.

 

“Let’s go, Mikey!” shouted Brian as he prepped himself for a fight. He knew that they had to do something before those things made it inside. “We can take them! Just bash their freaking heads in.”

 

For a moment, the smaller man simply hung his head and did not say a word. In the corner, the moans grew louder and the sound of more glass breaking finally seemed to get to him. Jumping quickly to his feet, Michael grabbed an empty laundry basket next to the sofa and began piling as much hard objects as he could find into it. When they had gotten as much as they could into the small basket, they climbed out another window and went around the side of the house and into the garden.

 

The men were all grouped around that one window and by now, they had destroyed much of the glass. Grabbing the first thing he could get into his hands out of the basket, which actually turned out to be soccerball, Brian chucked it as hard as he could at the head of the bigger zombie. A crack was heard and the zombie hit the floor in a heap. Attracted to the sudden sounds behind them the last two zombies turned to see the source of the commotion and they moaned loudly when they saw the two men just a few steps away.

 

Thus began a frenzied war of hit-the-zombie and for awhile Brian and Michael seemed to keep them at bay but after throwing as much as they could at the things, their supply started to diminish. Brian noticed this dilemma first and he frantically tried to find more things that they could use. Spotting a record off to the side he snatched it up and launched it at the smallest zombie. It’s head bent backwards and at first, it did not seem to be phased by the attack but then it started to wobble clumsily around obviously bothered by the sudden damage done to its head. 

 

Realizing that in his hand, he held a remotely dangerous weapon, he ran back towards the house to fetch some more records. Michael seemed to be startled by his sudden departure and for a moment he felt strangely abandoned but then Brian came back with what looked like Ben’s records and before he could question the man’s intentions---Brian was chucking them at the zombie’s heads.

 

This went on for awhile but after three minutes and several misses, Michael was fed up with the situation and he grabbed the nearest blunt object he could find. Of course, he had grabbed a rake and before Brian could say a word, he was bashing the smallest zombie with the sharp part of the rake. It ultimately came down to two well-placed whacks and then the zombie fell with a wet groan then Michael was moving onto the next one. Of course, the medium sized zombie was well aware of Michael’s intentions and as the man swung the zombie grabbed the stick end of the rake and tossed it aside. 

 

To say that Michael wasn’t surprised by this sudden change in tactics would be an understatement, he started to freak out. Sensing Michael’s obvious distress, Brian scanned the area that they were in before finally spotting a small little shack under a tree towards the back of the garden.

 

“Hey, is that shack open?” Brian inquired as he eyed his new discovery curiously. Perhaps there would be more blunt objects inside for them to use?

 

Michael paused in his queen-out to peer curiously at the shack Brian was pointing at and then shook his head sadly before answering in a shaky tone. “It’s always been locked.” He stated before going back to his dramatics.

 

Not really giving a shit and not having anything to lose, Brian launched himself towards the door of the shack and cried out when he broke down its flimsy frame. He vaguely heard his friend call to him inquiring about injuries but was saved from answering when he spotted a shovel and a cricket bat. Tossing the cricket bat to Michael he grabbed the shovel and made for the zombie, who, while they were distracted covered a lot of space between them. He swung at its head and laughed in triumph when the impact was made and the zombie had gone down in a heap.

 

When they had examined all the bodies and dumped them somewhere in the bushes, Brian and Michael headed back into the house where they sat upon the couch to plan their next move. Yet, as they sat there discussing their current situation they realized just how tired they were and Brian offered to make them some tea to ease some of the tension they were feeling. 

 

While he was in the kitchen heating up the water, Michael turned on the television and switched back to the news. On the screen, the same woman from before sat quietly at a cluttered desk and seemed to be preoccupied with something---from off camera, someone called out to her and she immediately snapped to attention.

 

_”It is important to note that a bite from any one of these things is incredibly lethal, so, please avoid any contact with anyone infected. If someone you know has already been bitten, isolate them immediately and make no attempt to reach relatives and friends!”_

 

As Michael continued to watch the television screen, he felt a sudden chill run up his spine as he thought back to what the woman had said about ‘bites’. Apparently, Brian must have had the same idea for he was suddenly standing in the doorway and staring straight at Michael with a worried expression on his face.

 

“Ben!” they both whispered at once and it was Michael who made his way towards the stairs first. He peered up curiously and was startled by Brian’s call for their roommate. A few seconds passed and for a brief moment, Michael assumed that the other man must have left early for work? Yet, off to the side, he spotted the man’s car keys and that thought was soon dismissed. After calling the man’s name for several minutes, Brian concluded that the man must have gone in to work early and that they should just stop worrying so much. 

 

Next to him, Michael leaned casually against the wall and let out a tired sigh. “Do you have anymore cigarettes?” he inquired softly as he looked around the hallway.

 

Brian absentmindedly felt about his pockets and then stopped abruptly when he made a sudden realization. “No, I quit.”

 

Surprised by the other man’s sudden announcement, Michael scoffed loudly at the preposterous thought of Brian quitting smoking and laughed as he expressed his amusement outloud. “You? Brian Kinney? Quit? Since when?”

 

Noticing his friend’s mocking tone, Brian turned to him to say something rude but froze when he remembered yesterday and the events that took place that day. 

 

“JUSTIN!” he cried in horror as he rushed back into the living room to grab the telephone. He dialed the number, which he knew almost by heart and frowned when all he received was a busy tone. Walking aimlessly around the living room, he cursed when on his fifth try, all he got was the fucking busy signal again and he canceled the connection.

 

“Shit, he’s engaged!!” he shouted angrily.

 

From the kitchen, he heard Michael make a rude comment and he stopped briefly to glare at the man. This was no time for jealousy! Justin could be in danger. As he was just about to push the redial button once more, he jumped when the telephone started to ring in his hands.

 

“Justin?!” he whispered excitedly when the line was picked up and was briefly taken aback when he heard the loud girlish voice of his mother. “Mom!” he shouted into the receiver as a newfound relief settled into his heart. As sad as it was, he had forgotten that his mother was in town and the knowledge that she was alive was comforting. 

 

“Brian! Where the fuck were you? I have been trying to reach you for what seemed like forever!” there was a momentary pause and then Brian heard some soft murmuring in the background before Debbie returned to the phone, “Some men tried to get inside.”

 

Brian blanched at her announcement and he swallowed heavily at the thought that his mother could be in possible danger. He had not thought about how wide spread this problem was and so he could not help but feel the fear that gripped his heart. Unconsciously, the grip he had on the receiver got tighter. He suddenly could not breathe. It was as if the tension was choking him.

 

“Mom, are they still there? Did any of them hurt you?” Brian demanded as he listened to his mother’s breathing on the other line. Abruptly, her breath caught and Brian felt the fear in his heart intensify at her hesitance to answer.

 

He let the silence run for a minute or so before finally getting the guts to ask. 

 

_”Mom, did they bite you?”_

 

He heard his mother let out a nervous laugh before she answered in a shaky tone, “No, but Carl has. I put some hot water on it and a bit of iodine. From what I can tell it looks fine.”

 

**Oh!**

 

Brian felt the relief overcome the fear in his heart and he started when Michael gripped his shoulder tightly to get his attention. “Has she been bit?” he demanded harshly and Brian gave him a smile in reply.

 

“No, but Carl has. Looks like we may have to kill my stepdad.” Brian announced and he almost laughed when Michael shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly in response.

 

Returning to the receiver in his hand he called for his mother’s attention and told her that he was coming to pick her up. “I don’t want to cause a fuss!” she cried and Brian was saved from answering when Michael grabbed the receiver from his hands and announcing that they ‘were’ coming for her.

 

Which now brought them to their current predicament---what exactly was their plan? After getting off the phone with Debbie, Brian and Michael found themselves returning to the living room to think of their next move. As Michael watched the man before him pace back and forth, he started when he abruptly turned to face him with a look of triumph.

 

“Right. We take Ben’s car, drive over to Mom’s, kill Carl, and drive over to Justin’s---where we can hole up and wait for all this to blow over.” 

 

Michael winced at Brian’s tone of excitement and he shook his head indifferently. “Why do we have to go to Justin’s?” he whined and he jumped when Brian turned to face him quickly.

 

“Because we do!” he answered. “Why?” came the whine again and Brian snapped at his friend’s persistence.

 

“Because I love him! I have to know if he’s safe!” he announced with finality and Michael scowled in annoyance. 

 

“Alright, gay! I’m not staying there though!” he huffed as he flicked a speck of imaginary dust from his sleeve. He noticed Brian’s look of confusion and he rolled his eyes in exasperation before explaining himself. “I want to be somewhere familiar, somewhere that’s safe. I want to know where the exits are and I want to be allowed to smoke.” 

 

Brian groaned at Michael’s sudden bout of rebellion and quickly did some quick thinking to suit the ‘princesses’ needs. When he had repeated his original plan with the exception of Justin’s place and bringing the other’s back here. He had quickly scrapped the plan declaring that the state of their home was hardly tolerable and what with the hole in the window and the dead body in the living room---there was no protest against it. 

 

“Then where are we going to go?” Michael whined and a silence settled over the room.

 

It was like a revelation. It hit them at precisely the same time. They would go to Woody’s! That place had everything they needed and it was well kept. They would not need to bring anything along if they made that place their decision. Therefore, it was decided…they would hit the pub and hole up until the zombies either died out or started eating each other. Meanwhile, they would have all the drinks they could indulge in and would not have to worry about a thing! 

 

Perfect.

 

After grabbing what they wanted to bring, both men found themselves at the door, and peeking through the lacy curtains at the window. “I don’t see anything.” Michael whispered as he scanned the front lawn, “Maybe it isn’t as bad as we thought?”

 

Yet, he was quick to correct himself once they had noticed the horde of zombies somewhere off to the side obviously attracted to red flames emitting from an overturned car. For a brief moment, Brian wondered how he could sleep through such atrocities but was quick to dismissed once he realized that now was no a time for a queen out. He would save those, of course, for Miss Michael Novotny. 

 

“You ready?” asked Michael as he gripped the cricket bat to his chest tightly. Brian was about to respond with an affirmative answer but shivered when he felt his bowels contract.

 

“Shit, I gotta visit the pisser for a bit! Keep a watch out, will ya?!” and he made for the stairs. However, he was brought to a stop when he heard Michael start to speak. 

 

“Oh! Can I drive?” he gave Brian one of his puppy dog looks, which if anything made him look more like a whipped dog, “I’ve never driven Ben’s car before and I want to now. Besides, I might not get another chance.”

 

Brian thought about it for a brief second and then shrugged his shoulders in resignation, he gave his companion a parting ‘Whatever’ and then he was up and jogging for the restroom. Once he had gotten inside, he withdrew his cock from his pants to go about his business. 

 

When he was finished he wiped himself off and was about to tuck himself back into his pants when his fingers briefly grazed the head of his penis. A pleasurable shiver went up his spine and he continued to stroke a bit more. As his strokes got a bit faster, Brian thought about the ridiculous situation he was in and for a moment, it almost made him stop his ministrations on the sensitive appendage. Yet, a horny Brian was a grumpy one and so he conceded that the fact that this would probably be the last time, at least for awhile, before he could jerk off again.

 

Why the fuck not??

 

As he wrapped his hand roughly around his cock, he begin to pump in time with a favorite fantasy of his. It involved Justin wearing a hot little maid’s outfit, spread out wantonly on a queen sized bed. As his hand jerked back and forth rapidly on his cock, his tongue peeked out between his lips to lick the dryness away and before he knew it, he was moaning a loud. The more vivid the fantasy got the more faster he jerked off and as he neared his climax, he opened his mouth to let out one last breathy moan and froze when 0ne sounded from the shower.

 

He quickly pulled up his pants to cover himself and winced when the zipper caught a few pubes in the process.

 

Was Ben in the shower watching him jerk off?! He could not help but feel the sudden annoyance and embarrassment that filled him as he watched the shadow behind the curtain sway from side to side.

 

Feeling the need to say something witty to regain his dignity, Brian walked towards the curtain to expose the man’s folly.

 

“I hope you enjoyed that you prick because that’s the last time---“

 

He froze when the curtain had fallen open to reveal a sickly pale looking Ben. He was naked, obviously, most likely showering when the change had occurred but unlike the zombies from outside, he was ‘fresh’ looking. Brian gulped in trepidation as he begin to back away from the creature that at one point used to be his roommate---all the while mouthing off whatever came to his mind.

 

“Oh, w-w-we’ll be taking your car! So, if you decide that y-you’d like to join us…” he paused abruptly when he realized that Ben was stepping out of the tub, “Feel free to join us later.”

 

As Ben reached out to grab him, Brian knocked him back and grabbed the doorknob to quickly make his exit. When he had gotten to the foot of the stairs he grabbed a protesting Michael by the top of his ear and pulled him out the door. “Let’ go!” he demanded as he hurried towards the car. Behind him, he heard Michael mutter nervously to himself about which button to push on the electric device on the keyring but was stopped from answering when a soccer ball hit him in the face.

 

“You fucker-“ he shouted, immediately freezing when he realized that the zombie that had thrown the object was none other than the next door neighbor’s kid, Hunter. 

 

In a moment or desperation, Michael pushed a button of the device and suddenly the car’s alarm started to go off. Everything within a ten-mile radius could hear the commotion and before Brian and Michael knew it, they were surrounded by the undead.

 

Ignoring his friend’s sudden whimpering, Brian yanked the keys from his limp hands and pushed the button to unlock the doors. Tossing the petrified man in the passenger seat, Brian shoved the nearest zombie away as he made for the wheel and let out a shout of triumph once he had gotten safely inside. Yet, the predicament was still at hand and slowly but surely, the crowd of zombies started to formulate what seemed like a loose circle around the car. Ignoring Hunter’s bloody face pressed up against the window, Brian keyed the ignition and put the metal to the medal.

 

The car lurched forward and a zombie in their line of direction was the first to be hit by the roaring vehicle. For a few seconds, the only thing that passed by the windshield was the plethora of dead bodies being hit and thrown over the top of the car. It took a while but ultimately Brian and Michael had made it out of the crowd and before they knew it, they were off speeding down Liberty Avenue, dodging all that was in their way.

 

It was a nightmare. This sort of thing should not be happening! Nevertheless, it was occurring here and now in bright daylight and if Brian knew this shit was going to happen in advance he would have gotten laid a lot more. Damn, life’s a bitch! 

 

_Why couldn’t he ever get satisfaction?_


	4. I Can't Get No Satisfaction!

**Author's Note** : _Hi! Sorry for the lateness! I was sick for awhile and my stupid beau, Ray, forgot to upload the chapter. But after doing a few read throughs and whatnot---I've decided to post up the finale to my excellent story, finally! Another thing...later in the chapter there is a brief mention of Gale Harold and Randy Harrison being intimate (nothing graphic!) but just for the record, I would like to say that Gale is straight and Randy is gay. I 've never met them before. ***For those who are interested, I've already got a lot of projects lined up. For further details, feel free to email me!_

* * *

_The city was a mess. Fires burned wildly on street corners whilst trash bins overloaded with a week’s worth of garbage spilled onto the sidewalk. Wrecked cars littered the streets and the alarming amount of bodies in the vicinity only seems to increase at every corner they turn._

 

The array of colors that flashed by the car, blinded Brian and for a brief moment he felt dizzy---as if he was going to faint. As he tried to come to grip the reality of the situation, he could not help but continue to weakly hold on to the idea that all this was in his head.

 

All he needed to do was wake up.

 

Yet, there was no mistaking the reality of the situation. This was chaos at it’s worse. Total and complete pandemonium---and Brian was stuck in the middle of it. Driving a little faster, it suddenly occurred to him how absurd the whole situation seemed.

 

But back to the matter at hand…

 

Not really knowing what street he should take, he glanced around and came to a stop when he spotted a street sign on the corner. After reading the sign, he got ready to drive off but froze when he noticed something.

 

From the corner of his eye, he had caught sight of a crowd of zombies in front of an apartment complex and before he could stop himself, he had made an odd choking noise, which of course immediately grabbed Michael’s attention.

 

“What? What is it?” he inquired as he peered out the window curiously, for whatever it was that seem to perturb his friend.

 

Brian’s eyes had grown wide in bewilderment and his mouth had slightly gone agape. His grip on the wheel tightened and he had to regain what little sense he had left before he finally got the courage to speak. 

 

“I’ve fucked them all.” He said and Michael was left speechless.

 

He pressed on, aware of the fact that Michael was still staring at him with an expression of utter confusion on his face. 

 

Was the information that hard to grasp? 

 

He had fucked the whole lot of them last week at some orgy; one of his clients had thrown. It had been a very dreary experience but since Justin had gotten a tooth pulled out that week and was unable to perform a blowjob on Brian nor put out---he was at a lost. 

 

A guy had to get his rocks off somehow! 

 

He cleared his throat uncomfortably and returned his gaze to the road ahead. Narrowly missing a shambling zombie in the street, the last thing Brian expected to hear from his companion was the uproar of laughter that suddenly erupted from his small frame

 

“Fuck, this is rich! You fuck em’ all one day and before you know it they all end up dead the next week! If I didn’t know any better I’d say, you’ve got the cock of death, Kinney. You sure know how to pick em’---Don Juan!” Letting out another guffaw at Brian’s glare, Michael returned his gaze to the street and blanched when he saw where they were headed.

 

**“LOOK OUT!”** he screeched and Brian’s head whirled around just in time to see their car collide with the body of a passing bystander.

 

The tension in the car grew increasingly heavy in the two minutes that they spent sitting there, eyeing the mess in the road---only their heavy breathing seemed to be the only source of noise within the vehicle. Brian glanced over at Michael with an ‘oh shit’ look on his face and the only thing the other man could do was whimper pitifully. 

 

_“Oh my god, you killed him!”_ Michael moaned as he put his head into his hands. 

 

Brian sensed another one of Michael’s drama queen moments coming on and he rolled his eyes in annoyance. 

 

The last thing they needed was a Queen out in the middle of a zombie-infested city. That was certainly **not** on Brian’s list of ‘things to do’. Afterall, he still needed to get to his mother and Justin. 

 

“Did it even occur to you, that the person in the road might have been a zombie? Who cares if I hit it? It’s dead anyway!” he shouted as he got ready to move the car, but Michael’s sudden grip on his wrist halted him and he looked at his friend heatedly.

 

“Hey! That’s not the point. You hit him. What if he was just a bystander on his way to some shelter? You hit him, you dunce!” growled the man and Brian could not resist the temptation to roll his eyes once more at Michael’s dramatics. Just as he was preparing himself to shout back at the smaller man, a moan caught both of their attention and they found their eyes trained on the bloody heap on the floor once more. 

 

The corpse was trying to pull itself up off the ground…

 

“Oh, thank god for that!” Brian murmured as he watched the corpse rise to its feet. He had been saved from having to listen to anymore of Michael’s tirade and was granted a window of opportunity. 

 

Gunning the engine, he pressed onwards, and hoped to god that his mother and Justin were still safe.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Justin peered out the window fearfully and cringed when he saw the zombies trudging across the lawn towards their building. 

 

From the corner, he heard Emmett’s subdued crying and somewhere in the background, Ted’s insistent tapping at the telephone keys rang annoyingly in his ears. 

 

The other man was so sure that they would be able to call for help and get as far away from this place as they could. Yet, Justin knew that the likelihood of that happening was a one in a million chance. 

 

The cops couldn’t do a damn thing about the situation and neighther could they.

 

Downstairs he heard the unmistakable sound of a pained cry and he had to press his hands to his ears in order to block out the heart retching sound. That had been the tenth scream so far and Justin had a feeling that it was far from the last.

 

From the corner, Emmett moaned in fear and squeezed his eyes shut---he really couldn’t handle it and Justin knew exactly how he felt. If he had known that today was going to be the day that all hell broke lose, he would have apologized to Brian for acting so irrationally earlier.

 

He sighed as he thought of his lover, well ex-lover. 

 

He missed Brian. 

 

Perhaps, if he had been thinking properly yesterday he would have disregarded the whole thing and continued to be second best in Brian’s life, yet he couldn’t. No, he wouldn’t settle for that! Brian had taken his presence for granted and so Justin did what he thought was best for both of them, yet despite that train of thought he could not help but question the choice he had made.

 

Had he done the right thing? 

 

“Brian…I’m sorry.” He moaned tiredly as he slid down the wall. He put his head in his arms as he felt the hot prickly sensation of tears reach his eyes. He knew that he had fucked up. 

 

Although, Brian would never say it aloud---Justin knew he loved him in his own way. Yet, after living in the relationship for so long and not hearing Brian ever say ‘it’ to his face, Justin started to grow concerned. 

 

How could he not? 

 

It wasn’t like Brian changed after they had gotten together. He still fucked tricks and took drugs like always, although the days that he did go out to do these things did decrease considerably in their time together---Brian still did them nonetheless. 

 

Did he even want Justin anymore?

 

He started slightly when he heard Ted curse the telephone and watched as the man trudged towards the television. He clicked the power on and growled as he realized that most of the channels had gone off the air---probably due to the ever-growing crisis. Justin did not expect the news channels to last that long in this sort of predicament. 

 

As he let his head fall back into the wall, he could not help but think about the life he had lived so far. The more he thought about it, the more evident it became that Brian Kinney had been a major fixture in his life. 

 

Now that was finished---today Justin would probably die and Brian would never know how much he truly loved him. He waited and shut his eyes, desperately hoping to block out the moans of the creatures outside and thought of the only thing that he knew would calm him.

 

“Brian…” he whimpered, as he felt the tears slip past his lashes.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Brian started as his eyes snapped open. 

 

He did not know what had happened exactly, just that one minute he was having a strangely pleasant dream and then he heard someone call his name. Well, whoever it was sounded strangely familiar and Brian could not help but feel _scared_ for this person.

 

Maybe it was Justin?

 

Hastily wiping off the trail of drool on his chin, Brian looked to his side and roughly shoved Michael. In the same manner that Brian had woken up in, the other man, seem to jerk in his seat before looking around him in a bewildered way. It was only when he spotted Brian that he realized where he was.

 

“Christ, I thought it was only a dream.” He whispered and Brian nodded solemnly in agreement. It had taken him a long time to fully accept the situation but he was now aware that what was happening was far from fictional. 

 

Sighing to himself, he stepped out of the car to stretch his sore muscles and groaned when a bone in his back popped.

 

They had tried to take the direct way to Debbie’s only to be sidetracked by a horde of zombies feasting on a crowd of survivors on Flower Street; so, they had to take a detour down Maple. Eventually they stumbled upon an empty warehouse and decided to take refuge there for the night. Yet, it was morning now and they had a lot of time to make up for. 

 

Afterall, a lot can happen in a night.

 

He looked over to Michael to announce their plan of the day and blanched when he realized that the man was shaking.

 

“Mikey?” he inquired as he watch the man shakily get out of the car. In the dim light of the building, Brian could clearly make out the tears in his best friend’s eyes and he couldn’t help but roll his own in exasperation. Sure, it was perfectly plausible that one would completely break down in a situation such as this but this was a totally different scenario. 

 

In Brian Kinney’s presence, queen outs were not an option. 

 

“Pull yourself together! If you don’t fucking stop crying, I’m going to leave your ass here!” he hissed as he glared at the other man. Yet, the more he looked at the cowering the man, the more guiltier he felt and he couldn’t help but recall a time when he was the victim of such heartlessness.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

_”Shut the fuck up you fucking faggot! If you don’t stop crying, I’m going to fucking push you out of the car right now. Do you want me to leave you in the middle of the desert, huh?!” shouted a furious Jack Kinney._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Shit! Fuck! Leave me alone you freaking, bastard!” screamed Brian as he held his hands to his ears. He was briefly aware of the insistent tugging at his arms and Michael’s worried voice but he ignored it all. 

 

It figures that something like this would happen at this very moment.

 

Everyday Brian found himself turning more and more into his old man and he was helpless to do a damn thing about it. The only way he was able to fully avoid going down that wrecked path was by fully accepting his role as a gay man and adapting to the lifestyle expected of him.

 

He was a man, plain and simple, and like a heterosexual male, he went through as many partners as he could count in the past few years.

 

He had not realized it before but the way in which he acted was incredibly reminiscent of his father. He drank like Jack, he took drugs like Jack and he pushed around the one person he was supposed to love like Jack. 

 

Now that he thought about it. He could clearly understand why Justin had left him. He had become what he never wanted to be. 

 

_His old man_.

 

Yet, he couldn’t quite help but think about the differences between them---his father and him that is.

 

They say men have a hard time expressing how they feel to the ones they love and so they express their feelings through ways that they think are good enough to understand. However, Jack Kinney never felt that way towards his family. No, he didn’t put love into the punches he pulled on Brian when he wasn’t looking and he sure as hell didn’t sound like he was saying ‘I love you’ whenever he abused his wife! Brian was sick and tired of having to be on guard all the time, afraid that if he let himself slip---it would ultimately be his downfall. 

 

Yet, Justin had gotten past his defenses and for some strange reason Brian couldn’t help but let him in. Let him partake of the rare part of him that others could not possibly dream he was capable of… 

 

“Brian! Brian, are you alright?!” cried Michael as he shook him roughly by the shoulder.

 

He looked up quickly into the face of his friend and for a brief moment, Brian saw himself. Pulling the other man into an awkward hug, Brian coughed uncomfortably before pulling away.

 

“Let’s go, Mikey. We have people to save.” 

 

The other man smiled briefly before nodding in agreement and pulling them both to their feet. “Brian and Michael---off to save the world again!” he shouted joyously and Brian rolled his eyes heavenward.

 

“Uhhh…how about no?” Brian laughed and Michael flipped him the bird in response.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

_Carl was **hungry**. _

_He didn’t know why he was so hungry all of a sudden but after all that activity this morning---he strangely felt as if he were starving!_

_His train of thought was unexpectedly interrupted, however, by Debra who had come to him with news of Brian’s visit. Yet, all he could concentrate on was her succulent looking neck, which in this angle clearly exposed the outline of her jugular---which if bit properly would bleed quite profusely._

_He sighed blissfully for a moment before fully understanding the ridiculousness of his thoughts. What the heck was he thinking?_

_Succulent looking neck?! Biting jugulars?! What the fuck?!_

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Brian! Are we there yet?” Michael said in a high pitch whine.

 

Brian gritted his teeth in exertion as the car squeezed passed two pick-ups in the street. When they had safely made it to the other side of the road, Brian was relieved to see his mother’s house just a few yards away. 

 

“We’re here.” He announced as he drove up to the sidewalk and parked. “Do you have everything?”

 

Michael nodded in confirmation and was about to open the door when something stopped him. He turned to Brian with a thoughtful look on his face and opened his mouth to speak. “Maybe I should wait here, you know? Watch the car and if there’s any trouble honk the horn three times? Besides, I’ll probably chicken out in there and I know you don’t need that.”

 

Brian nodded knowingly in agreement before grabbing his shovel from the back seat and stepping out of the car. Once he was outside he hoisted the shovel onto his shoulder and made for the front door. 

 

“Don’t forget to kill Carl!” called Michael and Brian jumped at his friend’s unexpected shout. He turned around to give Michael a withering glare before stepping onto the front porch of his mother’s home. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, Brian was startled when it’s wooden frame was thrown open and he was enveloped in a breath-taking hug.

 

“Brian, honey! I knew you’d come for me.” Cried his mother’s loud voice and he groaned in response as her vice like grip sucked him under.

 

He thought about smacking her with the shovel but he knew he didn’t have the guts or the balls to harm his own mother. He simply let her have her way with him and then sighed with relief once he was released and led into the house. For a brief moment, he felt a sense of déjà vu hit him and he could not help but feel strangely somber all of a sudden. 

 

Once his mother had taken his jacket, Brian watched her head into the gaudy looking kitchen before he headed into the den.

 

He remembered when Uncle Vic used to live in the house.

 

Of course, he was long dead but when he was still alive---he had been a great source of moral support for Brian and for that, he had always felt a deep gratitude for the unfortunate man. He loved Vic and appreciated the fact that the man supported him no matter what sort of endeavor he was trying to conquer at one point in time. Brian decided to repay the man by keeping a close eye on his mother and becoming a big fat fucking success…however, somewhere along the line---he fucked up. 

 

That fuck up just so happens to be the focus of this whole mission and his mother’s significant other (he refused to call him her ‘husband’). Carl Horvarth was a retired cop with a bi-polar attitude and Brian hated him with a passion. He never sat well with Carl and never made an effort to get to know the guy---he didn’t need to. 

 

So, the fact that Carl was resting, quite comfortably he might add, in a chair that belonged respectfully to his dear dead Uncle Vic---made Brian feel all the more ready to do some damage.

 

He took one look at the pallid face that was nestled into the checkered throwover and raised his shovel. “Sorry, Carl.” He muttered as he let the shovel fall.

 

_“Why?”_ came a croaky response and Brian jumped in his skin. 

 

**The man was still alive?!**

 

He watched in amazement as the sickly looking man cracked one eye open to stare at him and Brian quickly hid the shovel behind his back.

 

“What is that, honey!” cried Debbie as she popped into the room at that precise moment. She seemed curiously interested in the shovel he had brought in and reached out to grab it. 

 

Glaring at his mother, he huffed in annoyance before turning away from her. 

 

Why is it that everytime he was distracted, unexpected things happened?! This was, what? The tenth time he had literally jumped through the roof in shock? If things like this kept happening, Brian was pretty sure he’d never make it to his 30th birthday. 

 

**Jesus!**

 

As he hurried away from the room and into the kitchen, he grabbed the closest seat he could find and deposited his ass onto it. 

 

He was so fucking exhausted! 

 

When he looked up next he wasn’t surprised to see his mother’s concerned face shoved right into his own.

 

“Mom, you’re invading my personal bubble!! Do you mind stepping the fuck off?!” he snarled as he squirmed uncomfortably in his chair.

 

She rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly before grabbing him by the front of his shirt, while she wagged one of her red claws in his face. Her face held one of those ‘don’t-fuck-with-me’ looks and Brian could not help but gulp in apprehension.

 

“Spill it, kid!” she demanded and before Brian knew what he was doing he was telling her everything---about the breakup, the zombies and his current mission. (minus the assassination of a certain step-dad.)

 

She took all this in utter silence, not even opening her mouth once to question some of the stuff he had done---and for a moment Brian couldn’t help but feel the swell of pride in his chest for his mother. When he had finished speaking, she gave him a critical look before calming down a bit, and when she spoke---her voice was soft with compassion.

 

“Honey, you’re 29. When you were with Justin, you were so fucking happy---happier than I’ve ever seen you in your whole life! The fact that you were…or shall I say ‘still’ enamored with Sunshine wasn’t lost on me either. You fucked up, dear, and I know you feel bad about it but you gotta realize that Justin isn’t immune to heart break. You can’t keep denying him what he needs and expect him to always be there for you!” She paused in her tirade to wipe the sweat from her brow before continuing with a determined look on her face. (He wasn’t going to be let off that easily.) “ After you save Justin---do yourself a favor and tell him how you really feel, otherwise both of you will never be happy.” 

 

Yet, before he could reply he heard the unmistakable sound of a honk and he suddenly remembered why he was here in the first place. “Mom, I’m taking you somewhere safe. Let’s go.” He said as he started to lead her towards the front door. 

 

Squawking in protest the big woman, yanked her arm back as she fixed her son with another one of her glares and stood her ground. “I’m not going anywhere without Carl.” She said and Brian turned to look back at her in confusion. 

 

Scoffing at her strong devotion towards the other man, Brian glanced casually back into the den and started when he realized that Carl was no longer sitting in the chair! 

 

“Oh, shit! Where the fuck did he go?” he yelped as his mind took a moment to regain itself.

 

Scurrying into the den, Brian held his shovel tightly to himself as he scanned the room and gasped when he saw the drawn out stain of a bloody handprint leading up the stairs. Off to his side, Debbie made a strangled sound and lurched forward in the direction of the staircase but Brian’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. 

 

“Wait. Let me go up.” 

 

Nodding in reluctant agreement, her eyes watched him like a hawk as he made his way up the narrow staircase and out of her sight. 

 

When Brian had turned the corner, the first thing he heard was the sound of harsh breathing coming from his mother’s room. It didn’t sound _healthy_ and Brian’s hands immediately gripped the shovel tighter. As he walked over to the door, he gripped the knob tightly and prepared himself for whatever was on the other side. 

 

Two beats. Three beats. Four beats. 

 

Brian gulped as his pulse grew louder and louder in his ears. He could feel the beginnings of sweat develop on the back of his neck and a cold chill ran up and down his spine. His mother was right down stairs. If he killed Carl now, there would be no way for him to explain himself. He had quite the dilemma on his hands and yet no solution to fix it all. What the fuck was he going to do?! Yet, before he could think further into the matter, he heard Carl’s soft voice drift passed the wooden frame between them.

 

_“Come in here, Brian. I have something I’d like to say to you.”_

 

Opening the door slowly, Brian grimaced as he was greeted with the sickly looking form of his stepfather. His face had gone an ashen color and his hair was graying on one side. Saliva flooded out of his mouth and his eyes had a faded look to them. There wasn’t any life in the man and it only seemed a matter of time before the inevitable happened. 

 

Five seconds into the meeting---and Brian already knew that his mother’s hubby was as good as dead. 

 

The man struggled into a sitting position upon the bed and looked up weakly into Brian’s face. When he spoke Brian had to lean forward a bit to hear him properly.

 

_“I’ve always admired you, you know?”_ He stopped briefly to cough up some blood and Brian wrinkled his nose in irritation as some of it splattered onto the carpet. _“You’ve got spirit, charisma and good looks No matter what you do, even if what you are doing is uncalled for and dangerous---everyone seems to trust you. Everyone likes being around you and despite all the shit, you put them through they still love you. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I’ve always wanted to be there for you---I wanted to be a part of your life. You’re a good son, Brian…and I hope you know that from the very beginning, I’ve always been proud of you…”_

 

He trailed off, wheezing quietly under his breath before falling backward onto the bed. 

 

For a brief moment, it seemed like he had passed away in peace…yet the tranquility of the situation was broken when the man’s body started to spasm. Brian watched in horror as the man scratched at his chest in pain and agony, flopping upon the bed like a drowning fish upon land, before finally hitting the ground with a thump.

 

In the span of five minutes, Carl had confessed to caring about Brian and had past away before the man could even respond to his declaration. 

 

He was at a loss. He should feel something or say something but he couldn’t. What could he say or do?! 

 

Carl had **loved** Brian and the fact that he was on his deathbed when he made the confession, must have meant that he wasn’t lying. 

 

He should feel pleased but at the same time he couldn’t help but feel pity for the man. He hadn’t meant to get on Brian’s bad side but due to the lack of communication---it was no wonder why they hadn’t gotten along!

 

He put his head in his hands as he thought about his poor mother. Of all the women in his life, nobody could amount to Debbie. She had gotten him through his life single-handedly without the help of her no-good husband, Jack, and was incredibly supportive of him. He loved her for it…

 

He paused briefly at that train of thought and smirked slightly. Christ, talk about an oedipal complex! 

 

Sure, he loved his mom, but who wouldn’t?! Just ask any queer on Liberty Avenue and they’ll tell you straight up---that Debra Kinney is a mother to all those who need her help. Ad he realizes how sappy he sounds when he thinks about stuff like that…but he’s glad. At least he has a mother who understands him.

 

However, that didn’t mean he was some sissy mama’s boy. No…he simply cared about his mother a great deal and so anyone who thinks otherwise can kiss his fucking ass. 

 

Before he could think any further, however, he was pulled out of his reverie by a snarling sound before he was thrown forward onto the floor. Scrambling frantically out of the grasp of his attacker, he looked up into the pale dead face of his former stepfather and shoved him as hard as he could. The zombie hit the floor with a thud but immediately started to struggle back to its feet. Not thinking rationally about the consequences, Brian raised his shovel and brought it down.

 

_“BRIAN, NO!”_ screamed a shrill female voice and he froze midway in his strike to turn around. 

 

Debbie stood in the doorway with a wide-eyed look on her face and was staring directly behind Brian at her former husband. Brian gulped as his mother’s eyes began to water and her hands began to shake. Yet, before either of them could react Brian was tackled to the ground by the newly made zombie and the shovel that he had been holding just a few moments ago, was thrown from his grasp.

 

Once again, he found himself at the mercy of a zombie and he gasped as the man tried frantically to get at his neck. Brian fought with all his might but couldn’t deny the fact that Carl had been much more bulkier than him and could easily trap him and his eyes widened as the zombie succeeded in finding a way to get to his neck. Brian waited for the inevitable bite and yet it never came…instead all he heard was a loud squishy crack and the sound of a pained moan before he felt the hot breath of the older man hit his neck and abruptly stop. 

 

Carl was dead and his mother had done the honors. Her face was red with the exertion of using the shovel and her eyes were bloodshot. 

 

Pushing the man’s still form off his chest, he stood up to his feet and walked over to his mother. Taking the bloody shovel away from her hands, he grabbed his mother in an awkward hug and patted her on the back.

 

“Mom, I know you’re upset but now is really not the time for you to mourn.” He paused when his mother looked up at him and he had to block out the guilt he suddenly felt for trying to get her out of the house but he knew that it was for the best. People were dying and Brian definitely did not want to be around when the situation got worse. 

 

“You’re right.” Came the whispered reply and Brian quickly looked back to his mother. “Let me get my coat and purse, I’ll meet you out front, okay? I’m just going to say goodbye to Carl.”

 

Nodding his head, Brian excused himself from his mother’s presence and started a trek back to the car. When he had gotten outside, he spotted Michael parked in the same spot that he left him in.

 

“Judging by the look on your face, I’m guessing things didn’t go so well?” inquired his friend and Brian sent the other man a look that clearly told him to ‘shut the fuck up’. As he leaned against the car, he took a moment to look up at the sky and forget all the bad things that had happened so far. His mind drifted back to a memory he had of when he and Justin had gone down to Rosewater Park last winter. It was a good memory.

 

A _happy_ memory.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

_”You know if you tilt your head slightly to the left and squint your left eye, that batch of stars, right there, looks exactly like a penis!” Justin laughed as he took a long drag from his joint. He leaned back on the cool green grass as he took in the vastness of the dark sky; it’s bold color clashing with the brilliant white of the shining stars decorating it from all corners of the world._

_Brian laughed drunkenly at his partner’s observation and tossed him what he hoped was one of his tongue in cheek looks. “A penis, huh? Looks more like a banana to me. Sure you ain’t going senile on me, Sunshine?”_

_Making a disgruntled sound, Justin shrugged offhandedly and closed his eyes._

_“Penis? Banana? Whatever-the-fuck, Brian! Must you question my insight?” cried his lover as he dramatically threw his head back. The sudden movement had sent his blond locks flying and in the moonlight, they glowed brilliantly against the man’s pale skin._

_There was one word to describe Justin in that moment._

_“Beautiful.” Brian whispered as he held out his hand to brush back the other man’s bangs. Justin’s head shot up and he peered curiously up at Brian through his eyelashes. It must have been the moonlight again because in this angle Brian could see that the light had made his partner’s eyes look dark, almost gray-like._

_“What did you say?_

_Brian quickly looked away and coughed uncomfortably as the blood rushed to his cheeks. Standing up from the ground, he walked a few steps forward before stopping and then turning to face his lover._

_“I said, ‘Bees are awful’.”_

_Justin seemed to be dumbfounded by Brian’s answer and for a few minutes, nothing was heard---until Justin started laughing._

_“Kinney! You are so full of shit. You called me, ‘Beautiful’, and you know it!” Getting to his feet quickly, Justin shoved his lover playfully before stumbling away._

_“Ahhhh, conceited much? What makes you think I said ‘beautiful’, huh? I think the vanity you suffer from is a *real* problem.” He singsonged and Justin pouted prettily at him in annoyance._

_Eventually, pouting grew rather tiring and Justin decided to spin around in circles instead. As he spun, the sky above him swirled like a vortex and he laughed joyously. From his side, Brian snorted in amusement as he watched the other man spin himself into a frenzy and after what seemed like 20 seconds---Justin had stopped abruptly and wobbled unstably on his feet._

_Spotting Brian, he dizzily made his way towards the other man and yelped when his converse caught on a tree root embedded cleverly in the grass. Acting quickly Brian held up his arms and caught the man effortlessly in them before hugging him to himself. He could feel the smaller man’s warm breath against his chest and the ever-present thump of his heart. It was very reassuring._

_“I love you, Brian.” Came a small whisper and Brian smiled down at the bright head. “I love you a lot, but I would love you even more if you would let me puke behind that tree over there.”_

_Laughing aloud at his lover’s statement, he dragged the warm body to a nearby bush and let him dry heave for a bit. When he was finish he collapsed back onto the cold ground and looked back to Brian with a dreamy smile on his face._

_“My hero…” he simpered and Brian only laughed in response._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Brian? Brian? BRIAN!” shouted a voice and Brian was pulled out of his daydream. Michael had been shaking him violently and his face held a look of confusion on it. When he realized that Brian was looking at him angrily, he turned a little and motioned towards the car.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

In the car, Debbie was already seated, stony faced and waiting. Brian walked over to it and got in, taking note of the fact that it was already high noon. The sun was going to set soon, so; it would be best to head off to Justin’s. He definitely didn’t want to get caught at night with those things running around. 

 

Pulling away from the curb, Brian sped down the road towards the street that would take them directly to Justin. He noticed that since this morning, the amount of zombies in the streets had increased considerably. Every now and then, the occupants of the vehicle winced as body after body was hit and splattered onto the car’s windshield. It took a good 20 minutes but after reaching the flat’s destination, Brian did his best not to groan.

 

There were many zombies on the front lawn, probably aware of the fact that there were still living occupants within the building. They shuffled around in-groups and the largest of the crowd was huddled around the one door leading inside. Brian knew that getting out at this moment would be a very foolish idea and that he needed to find a way to separate the crowd. Getting a wild idea, he turned halfway so he could address both his friend and his mom.

 

“I’m going to do donuts on the lawn, better buckle up.” 

 

Taking the moment to wait for the occupants to do the task, he gripped the steering wheel tightly as he prepared to follow through with the stunt. A grunt from Michael was all he needed---and shoving a foot down on the gas, he winced as the car squealed in protest and rammed the first batch of zombies. 

 

Zombie after zombie was thrown across the car as the vehicle swerved repeatedly on the lawn. Grass shot up and splattered into the unsuspecting corpses’ faces and some let out angry moans of protest.

 

When the majority of the zombies had dispersed or died from the trauma dealt to them, Brian came to abrupt stop before the doorway and burst out. 

 

“I’ll keep driving around the block, so, that we don’t get cornered in---I’ll be back in 20 minutes!” cried his friend from the driver’s seat. Gunning the ignition, he sped off and Brian found himself alone on the front doorstep with a shit load of zombies milling about. Pushing the buzzer by the door, Brian stood impatiently on the doorstep as he waited for someone to pick up.

 

_“H-H-Hello?”_ came a soft answer and Brian sighed with relief.

 

“Emmett! Let me in, I’m here to save you guys! Open the fucking door, now!”

 

A rustling was heard on the other end and suddenly Ted’s voice drifted from the machine. _“Go away, Brian! We don’t need your help.”_

 

Scowling darkly at the man’s response he prepared himself to say something rude but froze when he heard the unmistakable sound of a moan come from his side.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

From inside of the building, Emmett and Ted could hear the harsh breathing and animalistic sound of grunts drift from the intercom. Tossing each other a fearful look, they looked back to a terrified Justin and the three shared a look of remorse, as the sounds grew more frantic. They started to fear for the worse.

 

_“Brian?”_ Emmett said hesitantly as he pushed the button down. 

 

Yet they were all startled, when a loud groan came from the window and Justin grabbed the nearest weapon he could find ( **which turned out to be a spatula** ) as he watched a hand grab the windowsill. 

 

When a head came into view, Justin let out a scream. 

 

When he realized that the head belonged to Brian, he ran to the window to help him through. Opening the clasp, he pushed it open and pulled the man into the room, then proceeded to hug him tightly.

 

“Brian! I’m so glad you’re alright!” he cried as he borrowed his face into his lover’s neck.

 

Hugging the younger man back in response, he shakily got up to his feet and tried not to lean too heavily against his smaller companion. Looking up at the other occupants in the room, he gave them a halfhearted wave and looked back down to his lover.

 

“I’m here to save you.”

 

Surprised by Brian’s sudden announcement, Justin awkwardly made his way for the couch and winced as he deposited the older man onto it. 

 

“Save him? What are you talking about, Brian?! We were perfectly fine before you showed up.” Cried Ted as he went to close the window. “Besides, there were only a few zombies before---how many are there now?”

 

“Lots” came Emmett’s wavering voice and Ted looked back down to see for himself. There were a lot of zombies outside and most of them were clawing at the front door! He gulped in fear as he turned back to the occupants of the room.

 

“That crowd out there will only get bigger because they know we’re in here and they will do whatever it takes to get in.” Brian told them calmly as he slowly got up to his feet, “I’ve got a plan---if we can get out of here and find a place to lay low, I think we can get through this!”

 

From his side, Justin made a distressed sound and then he, too, got up to his feet. “You say you have a plan? What exactly is your plan, Brian?” inquired the younger man.

 

Pausing before answering, Brian sent Ted a heated glare before turning to his partner.

 

“We’re going to Woody’s.”

 

Justin let out another sound, but this time it was one of displeasure, turning away quickly he thought for a moment and then turned back to the older man. “Do you really think holding up there will really ensure our safety? That is just so typical of you, Brian!” he cried as he pulled away from the older man’s embrace.

 

“This isn’t about you and me, Justin! We just need to get somewhere safe, somewhere we can stay alive and Woody’s is the only familiar place I can think of.”

 

Justin looked up wearily and briefly lost himself in the depths of his lover’s hazel eyes. They stayed like that for a few moments, staring into each other’s soul until they were abruptly pulled from their connection at the sound of Ted’s sudden screech. “You expect us to go with you to a bar?! What makes you think it’s any safer then where we are now?” he snapped, while brushing off Emmett’s comforting hand on his arm. “So, we’re just going to sit back and drink ourselves to death before the zombies get to us. That’s your _brilliant_ plan?!” 

 

He watched as Brian turned to stare hatefully back and him, with one of his stupid smirks placed firmly on his lips. Ted wanted nothing more than to rip it off his face, the smirk that is. Yet, he knew that Justin wouldn’t take too kindly to him if he even touched the other man. Fucking Brian and his manipulative ways!

 

“TED! Shut the fuck up!” cried a frustrated Emmett as he got in between Brian and him. “So far, it’s the only plan we have and I for one do not want to stay here waiting for those ‘things’ to come up and get us!”

 

Staring at his traitorous friend in disbelief, Ted turned to the one person who he felt had enough sense to deny Brian’s proposition.

 

“Justin? What do you think? Do you want to go with this loser?”

 

For a moment, the silence filled the room and no one said a word. When Justin looked up from the floor, he had a small smile on his face and Ted knew then that he had lost the argument. “I say we go with Brian. Afterall, it’s better than staying here, not knowing what to do.”

 

Smiling triumphantly at his lover’s announcement, he swooped down to give him a kiss but froze when the younger man placed a firm hand on his chest.

 

“Hey! Don’t think that this is going to make me run back into your arms---you got that, Kinney? I’m taking you up on your offer but like you said, it’s not about you and me, it’s about survival. Lets keep our minds on important things.”

 

Nodding in agreement, Brian tried in vain to stop the feeling of regret and pain he suddenly felt when Justin had made his speech, but found it rather hard to do such a thing. Sighing tiredly to himself, he walked over to the kitchen table and grabbed one of the knives. 

 

“Better bring a really good weapon with you because once we get out the door---those things will be after us and there’s no telling what kind of bind we might get in.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Michael was **annoyed**. 

 

For the past five minutes, all Debbie had done since Brian had left the car was complain about his insensitivity. Not that it wasn’t true…Brian was an asshole but he meant well. People just didn’t understand him and the more Debbie spoke about his flaws the more irritated he got. 

 

It got to the point where Michael had to stop the car in an empty parking lot in order to address the matter. 

 

Afterall, what were best friends for?

 

“I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t speak about Brian that way, Mrs. Kinney.” He said as he watched her pick lazily at her nails.

 

Scoffing at his attempt to shut her up, Michael vaguely heard her mumble something and could not help but feel a little miffed at her behavior towards him. 

 

“What did you say?!” he squawked as he looked at her incredulously.

 

Debbie turned to face him and for the first time since he met her---gave him what seemed to be a very dirty look. It was painful to have such a look directed towards him and for a minute he almost felt like apologizing but was forced to listen instead when the woman started to speak.

 

“I feel sorry for you. Chasing after your best friend for so long and not even realizing the fact that you barely even know him anymore. When are you going to wake up and realize that Brian doesn’t love you like that?” she said as she shoved a finger into his shoulder for emphasis. “You need to wise up, Michael. You’re a good kid and I don’t want you to get fucked over in the end.”

 

Michael blinked and let his mouth fall open in shock. He had thought that Debbie would be supportive of his coupling with Brian but instead she was telling him that it wasn’t going to happen?! He blinked back the tears that tried to force their way past his eyelids and heaved a shaky sigh. Sure, he knew Brian, dare he say it, loved the boy wonder but what they had was purely physical. Brian loved Michael physically as well as emotionally, otherwise why else would he have stayed with him so long? 

 

Debbie was wrong and he was right. He didn’t need Brian to confirm anything, he just _knew_. Brian loved him. It must be true!

 

From his side, Debbie watched as Michael’s lips quirked into a small little smile and she rolled her eyes heavenward. The man needed to get laid, pronto! Otherwise, he may very well come in between Brian and Sunshine---and she couldn’t allow that to happen.

 

When this all blows over, she figured she would introduce him to one of the regulars at the diner. Get him a good lay and possibly a love interest. Afterall, he definitely needed it. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Brian stared back at the fucked up face of a zombie pressed full on against the glass of the front door. Behind him, he heard the others shuffle uneasily as he observed the situation and he knew he didn’t need to tell them about how bad it was because they already knew. 

 

“Is there a back door to this place?” he inquired as he watched a big zombie shove the smaller one away in order to stare hungrily at Brian. In the back of his mind, he briefly recalled a time at Babylon when it was ‘Big Bear’s Night’. He wonders vaguely if the ugly looking bear in front of him was the same person who helped him fuck this saucy looking twink that night? Shrugging his shoulders mentally, he thumbs his knife thoughtfully before turning to look at the others questionably.

 

“There’s a back door, just down the hall from here but if we open it---it’ll trigger the alarm. Are you sure we should risk it? What if something hears it?” asked Justin timidly as he eyed the big bear in the window and cringed visibly at its grotesque features.

 

An alarm, huh? Justin was right about the alarm attracting these things to them but judging by the numerous amount of zombies at the front door and the creaking piece of wood separating their group from them---Brian rather take his chances with a few zombies then a whole horde of them. Walking past Emmett and Ted, Brian paused before Justin and brushed his bangs away from his face before affectionately patting him on the shoulder. Once he was finished he headed off into the direction of the back door and waited for the others to follow.

 

“The minute we get outside, don’t hesitate! All it takes is one mistake and you’re through! If you need help, call for it and someone will bail you out. Got it?!” 

 

From behind him he heard sounds of confirmation---and as he prepared himself to throw the door open, he stopped when he felt a hand on his arm.

 

“I’m proud of you.” Whispered Justin as he clutched his broomstick tightly to himself and despite the current situation they were in, Brian could not help but lean down and give the young man a chaste kiss on the forehead.

 

“Ohhhh, get a room you two!” huffed a frustrated Emmett causing the little group to let out a few nervous laughs. After Brian had flipped off the flamboyant man, he inhaled slowly before pushing the door open.

 

There was a pause as the little group looked around…

 

Fully expecting a crowd of flesh eaters waiting just outside the door, the last thing Brian didn’t expect to see was Michael and his mother sitting inside the car waiting impatiently for him. 

 

“What?” he fumbled as he walked towards the car.

 

Debbie sighed in exasperation before stepping out of the car with her hands on her hips. “We figured you wouldn’t be able to get out the front, so, we looked for a back entrance.” She said as she smiled cheekily to herself. When she spotted Justin off to the side, she enthusiastically greeted him with a loud ‘Sunshine!’ and then pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

 

“Better get in! The alarm has gone off and I’m thinking those things are going to notice were here…. Oh, there they are now!” pointed Michael as a horde of zombies started to trickle into the parking lot.

 

Shoving Debbie, Emmett and Ted into the back---Brian pulled Justin with him as he made for the front. When he had gotten into the car, he adjusted the squawking teenager onto his lap comfortably before slapping the dumbfounded Michael upside his head and rolling up the windows. When the engine started, the first few zombies had already reached the car and were currently scratching at the interior. As Michael gunned the engine and prepared to speed off, he let out an unmanly shriek when he heard the car stall.

 

“Michael! Get this fucking thing moving!” cried an outraged Debbie as she watched one of the bigger zombies shove the car dangerously.

 

All around them, all hell broke lose---the zombies started to claw the car in desperate attempts to get to the occupants inside and some had even turned on their own in order to get the most for themselves. Between the occupant’s screams and the moans coming from outside, Michael was really contemplating an all out freak out right about now but suddenly he felt the crushing impact of Brian’s foot on his own and the car was lurching forward.

 

Yes! Yes! The car was moving. Zombie after zombie was nudged over or thrown over the back of the car, causing it to moan in the process. A few stragglers clutched what little they could grab desperately but they were no match for the roaring machine. 

 

Just for kicks, Michael decided to drive around in wide circles in order to cast off the zombies who had managed to get a good grip on the car. It only took three circles before the last of the zombies went sailing off right into one of the bigger ones and at Ted’s ‘I’m feeling nauseous!’---Michael was speeding off in the direction of Woody’s.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The drive was uneventful and because of the lack of communication, the tension in the car grew. As they past one of the bigger intersections, Debbie’s voice was heard and the occupants could not help but listen intently to what she said.

 

“So, why Woody’s? I mean, there are so many other decent places to hold up? Like the Liberty Diner or heck, even Babylon seems a lot safer!” she laughed nervously to herself. “Are you sure this is such a good idea?” 

 

Brian contemplated his mother’s suggestions and thought about the places she listed. 

 

The Liberty Diner wouldn’t have been so bad except that place was right on the corner of Pride St. and that just so happened to be the most busiest intersection in all of Liberty. He wouldn’t be surprised if the zombie activity there was just as bad as anywhere else. 

 

Then there was Babylon…which wouldn’t have been such a bad idea. It was sturdy, dark and big. Not to mention, the backroom would be open and that meant…wait, he wasn’t with Justin anymore, so, what was the point? Besides, the place had very few exits---he’d hate to get trapped inside if the zombies ever found out where they were. He quickly scrapped the idea. 

 

“Woody’s isn’t so bad. At least there’s food and drinks there---and there’s things we can do to past the time.” The others made non-commutable sounds and then returned to whatever it was they were doing. 

 

Pleased with the lack of criticism, Brian leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes. He could feel Justin’s warm breath on the nape of his neck and he was vaguely aware of his aching hard on. From above him, he heard the boy make a small sound of acknowledgment before he was unconsciously rubbing against the cock lodged between them. Containing the sounds, he so desperately wanted to make Brian thrust upwards and he started when he heard the boy let out a yelp. 

 

Apparently he had thrusted too hard and it caused the boy to arch his neck, which inevitably caused his head to hit the roof of the car. As the boy glared at him, he smiled sheepishly in apology and briefly looked around to see if anyone else had noticed his little sexual escapade. 

 

It seemed that Emmett and Michael were the only one’s to witness Brian’s folly. 

 

Emmett was trying unsuccessfully not to laugh whereas Michael was scowling darkly at both of the men in utter irritation. It was because he paused to glare at them that he was unable to avoid hitting the zombie and the impact it caused the already beaten up car made it swerve off the lane.

 

**_“SHIT!”_** someone, cried and then all went black. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Is everyone okay?” came someone’s croaky call.

 

A chorus of ‘here’ rang out and for a moment, Brian was relieved. Until he realized that he had not heard Justin’s voice among the others. 

 

“Justin!! Are you okay? Where are you?!”

 

The silence that greeted his ears did nothing to ease his anxiety and if anything, it only seemed to make him even more scared. Yet, he started once he felt something shove against him and he looked into his arms and let out a sigh of relief. 

 

When the car had begun to lose control of itself, Brian was aware of the fact that Justin was not properly prepared for the impact. So, before the car had crashed Brian had unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed Justin and jumped from the car while it was moving. It had been a pathetic attempt of heroism on Brian’s part but he was pretty sure that when they had hit the ground---he had taken most of the impact. Actually, he could feel the pain right now…as for Justin, he was fine except for a few scratches and because of Brian’s tight grip on him---he was currently unable to speak. 

 

“I think the question at hand is---are you alright? I think I may have landed on your spleen.” came the muffled reply and Brian only laughed in response.

 

Pulling the young man off the ground, he surveyed the area they were in and noted that they were in someone’s back yard. The car had erupted into flames that coincidentally attracted zombies to the scene but because of the wreckage, they were unable to get to the other side. 

 

When everyone had gotten his or her bearings back, Brian went to check if the coast was clear.

 

Judging by the distance and the lack of homes in the area, Brian figured that they were not too far away from Woody’s. Maybe a block or so? Of course, they would have to cut through a few houses but all the more better. If they stuck to the back roads, they could avoid further confrontations with those things.

 

“So, where’s Woody’s?” asked Ted as he scanned the area they were in.

 

Brian turned to look at the smaller man and then pointed in the direction that he ‘assumed’ the bar was in. Of course, he pointed in the direction of various homes and backyards---and Ted was eager to point this out.

 

“You mean it’s over all those backyards?” he inquired as he looked at Brian skeptically before turning to the others. “How do you expect us to get there, _genius_?” 

 

Placing his tongue firmly in his cheek, Brian waltzed over to the nearest fence and turned back to smirk victoriously at the irritated man. “What? You’ve never took a short cut before?”

 

Pouncing onto the fence, Brian prepared himself for what he expected would be a tough climb and yelped as the fence fell forward under his weight. He jumped up immediately, aware of his too hot cheeks and the cluttered sounds of laughter from the group. Frowning at his friends, Brian let out a huff before trudging into the next yard while mumbling obscenities under his breath. The _impudent_ little fuckers! 

 

Ignoring the last few strings of chuckles coming from the group, mostly from Theodore (the fucker), Brian exited out a gate leading into another back street and gasped when he collided roughly into someone. Preparing himself, to whack the head in of any zombie that would dare get in his face---he did a double take when he realized that he was staring right back into the face of his old friend, Lindsay Peterson.

 

“Ohmigosh! Brian! It’s so good to see you!” cried the woman excitedly as she pulled him into a hug. 

 

Returning the hug halfheartedly, he smiled a little at the small woman before realizing that she was not alone. Behind her were five other people, all armed with weapons, already stained with gore and blood. He recognized ‘Smelly Melly’ but he could not place names to the other four.

 

“Oh, well, Brian! You know Melanie, right? My girlfriend.” She gestured to the smirking brunette behind her. “Her friends Emily and Theodora.” She pointed out a flamboyantly dressed woman and a plain looking mousy girl behind her. “There’s my mom and my cousin, Michelle.” An elegantly dressed woman with a tight bun hairdo offered a polite nod and a petite girl behind her gave an enthusiastic wave. 

 

He gave them all stiff nods of acknowledgement but was secretly wondering how a plain ol’ group like theirs could have survived in such conditions---afterall, they were a sad bunch! He noticed that Lindsay was eyeing his own companions as well and sighed in exasperation as he set about the introductions.

 

“The blond is Justin, my lover…” 

 

Justin jumped at this and he flushed in embarrassment, knuckling him in the shoulder, he set about explaining his break up with Brian and put on a fake smile as Lindsay nodded in response.

 

“Ohhh, that’s too bad! You make a gorgeous couple---almost like Mel and me, but like my father says, ‘you can’t always have all the good things in life!’” She said cheerfully and Justin laughed hollowly in response.

 

Recovering from the hurt he felt when Justin had stepped in to reevaluate his status in Brian’s life, he dolefully went on with identifying the others. “That’s Emmett, Ted, my mom, and Michael.”

 

After a few respectful ‘hellos’ and ‘nice to meet yous’ rang out, Brian turned to Lindsay with a tight smile on his face and patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. “Well, where ever you’re going---I hope it’s safe and if you ever get lonely come on down to Woody’s and I’ll treat ya to a bottle of Jim Beam. Christ knows, we all need it.” 

 

Lindsay wrinkled her nose distastefully at the name of the well-known bar and shook her head politely as she declined his offer. “ Well, good luck to you, Brian! I hope you get through this.” She said as she turned to leave.

 

As she trudged off in another direction, echoes of ‘good luck’ drifted on the air and once the others were sure that they could no longer see the retreating backs of their newfound friends, they returned to their own quest at hand.

 

For a while they simply made detours through various yards and back roads, yet it was through a specific yard that Debbie abruptly stopped and the others turned in curiosity.

 

“Deb? Is something wrong, honey?” inquired Emmett worriedly. 

 

She waved back in a distracted manner and from the front of the group Brian shrugged indifferently before continuing without the others. They would catch up after they were done playing in the yard; but first, he needed to find out where they were. He noticed a building with an alleyway behind it just beyond the fence but because of the enormous amount of shrubbery in his face he was unable to determine whether it was safe to go out or not.

 

“How does it look?” came a voice off to the side and Brian looked down into the bright blue eyes of his lover, who was looking at him in utter curiosity.

 

“Can’t see shit, but I think it’s safe. I don’t hear anything…” he trailed off when he noticed that something was amiss in their group and he worriedly voiced his concern. “Are we all here?” he asked as he looked around the circle. Emmett looked around at everyone himself and then nodded in a self assured way. “Yep, there’s four of us here, honey, no need to worry your little ol’ self.”

 

Brian didn’t know whether to snap at Emmett for having the audacity to call him ‘old’ or to worry even more because his mother was not among the group!

 

“Em! There are five of us---where’s my mother?” 

 

His fears were confirmed when he heard his mother let out a shrill scream and before he knew it he was rushing into the other yard, shovel ready for action. His eyes took in his mother who was lying on the floor and a shuffling zombie advancing towards her. Not bothering to stop to think about anything else he launched himself at the zombie and proceeded to whack it to death, before he used the sharp end of his shovel to impale the zombie into a nearby tree. It moaned in painful protest before reaching out eagerly to the man standing before it.

 

“Mom, are you okay?” whispered Brian worriedly as he inspected her for any injuries. She pulled her arm away harshly from his questioning gaze and got up to walk in the direction of the other yard. “I’m fine, Brian. I’m fine…let’s just get out of here.” She said as she stepped beside Justin, Brian took note of her pale face but shut his mouth was his mother sent him a glare. 

 

Sighing in frustration, he signaled for the others to follow him as he stepped over to the fence gate and peered curiously through it. As he slowly pushed it open, he sighed with relief when he realized that nothing was on the other side waiting for them and then he proceeded down the lane. He held up a hand for the others to stop and then motioned to himself---he was going to check it out alone. The others nodded and respectfully trooped back into the yard, closing the gate quietly just in case. When Brian was sure the others were secure, he tiptoed down the ally and froze at the mouth of it. 

 

He could hear it. The hungry moans. The cries of the undead. 

 

Peeking around the corner, Brian had to slap his own hand over his mouth to contain the scream that was about to burst forth when he realized that getting to Woody’s through the front would be suicide. Hordes of zombies littered the street, most of them a great number of Pittsburgh’s own queer community. 

 

Zombies decked out in colorful ripped clothing were a mockery of who they used to be and Brian had to suppress a shudder as he noticed a few of those that he had fucked in the past, wander aimlessly past the alley. They all moved as one---some feasting on the those that were unfortunate to fall into their midst and others wandering back and forth up the street. Maybe it was memory or maybe it was complete habit, either way this seemed to be a hot spot for the zombies and Brian suddenly didn’t feel like crashing their undead party.

 

He quietly moved back to the yard where the others were waiting and when he was let in, he couldn’t help but let the fear in his face show. It was Justin who noticed this first, sobering up almost immediately when he noticed Brian’s features drawn tight against his face in worry. The others soon followed and before they could stop him, Emmett was letting out a long wail in misery. Slapping his hand against the other man’s mouth, Brian glared at him angrily as he listened for any moans and sighed when he received none in response.

 

“Oh shit, what are we going to do? What are we going to do?” cried Emmett softly as he gripped at his jacket in distress. From his side, Ted let out a cruel laugh before turning on Brian, a look of fury plastered right onto his face.

 

“So, we listened to you, Mr. Genius---and look where it got us!” he snarled as he pointed accusingly in Brian’s face. “This is so fucking stupid, I knew we should have stayed at the flat. We were foolish to leave in the first place.” 

 

“Wait! Can’t we go back though?” asked Michael as he worried his lower lip in agitation. Ted scoffed in response and wandered over to the entrance of the yard they had just came in from and with a grand wave of his arm, his fake smile turned into an ugly one. “Be my guest, Mikey. Maybe if you are lucky, you will bump into that horde of zombies we saw earlier? I’m sure they’re all dying to make your acquaintance!” he sneered sarcastically as the man shrank back into himself.

 

“Ted! TED! Stop being a shit!” cried Justin as he smacked the man roughly in the arm. “Your outbursts aren’t helping our situation at all---now if you’ll just calm down we can gather what we have together and make a new move.” Argued Justin reasonably and it was under that intense blue gaze that Ted grudgingly agreed to calm down.

 

Back and forth, suggestions were thrown out but none of them seemed safe enough to execute. Brian rolled his eyes at some of the pathetic plans being formulated but shrugged it off when he realized that no one was really asking for his input anyway. 

 

Cocking his head to the side, he took a long look at the zombie that he had impaled to the tree earlier, whose movements had grown sluggish but was nonetheless still very much alive. The more he looked at it, the more his mind came up with things that they could do to get to their destination. When he finally thought of a plan, he couldn’t help but toss it into the hosh posh of ideas that everyone was coming up with. At first, everyone was against the plan because of the riskyness of it. Nevertheless, Brian had pointed out the fact that they were unable to go anywhere else and the only place they could go would be the place that they had in mind from the very beginning. It was at this point that he turned to look at Emmett and in between the angry protests and cries of confusion, the other man had suddenly gotten the gist of his plan.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Okay! Let’s all get loose---nice and limber.” He shook his own limbs in encouragement and watched as the others reluctantly did the same. “Take a look at this zombie---note the vacant but sad face, like a drunk who’s lost a bet. Also, look at his arms! Look at how lifeless they are! Their as limp as Brian’s cock is whenever he thinks about Ted---naked!” 

 

A few startled laughs broke out at the unexpected tease and even Brian, himself chuckled at Emmett’s boldness but obviously, Ted was infuriated with the man. He glared at him from where he stood and angrily folded his arms to his chest as he looked at the ground.

 

“Oh, you know I didn’t mean it, Teddy! I was only teasing you.” He sighed in irritation as the other man looked away, ignoring Emmett’s heartfelt apologies. Shrugging his shoulders, he returned to the task at hand and pointed at Debbie. “Do your best impression of a zombie!” 

 

For a moment nothing was heard or done by the woman, who just seemed to be distracted by something but Emmett had been amazed by the woman’s striking resemblance to one of the flashy zombies they had seen so far and he enthusiastically gave her an A+! When he moved on to Justin the boy had accurately done his impression with a nice sounding vocalization of a moan (which, if he wasn’t mistaken, seem to excite a certain Mr. Kinney!)---He ended up giving him an A and an affectionate pat on the head. Ted, who was still a bit sore on the whole ‘naked’ joke, did a half assed impression of how he thought a zombie acted and after much complaints/whines/and whatnot---it was thanks to a certain blonde that the ol’ bugger finally gave in. He got a C-. When it came down to Michael and Brian, the later had challenged the whiny man into a small contest of who could do the best zombie impression. The champion would ultimately win the title of ‘Zombie King’ among the undead. While Emmett had protested against their stupid little match, he couldn’t help but laugh at the disgruntled look on ol’ Mikey’s face when he had his ass served to him.

 

“I am the champion of the world~!” Brian singsonged and the others moaned in protest. Christ, what a fucking diva. Even Emmett thought Brian was a bit too hung up on the whole holier than thou attitude. 

 

After a few more tries and vocalizations, everyone trooped obediently out of the yard and into the alleyway. Brian was at the front, so, when he saw a clearing for them to walk into---he signaled for the others to follow.

 

It was really scary at first because the idea that one of them could screw up and expose the rest of the group was grating on everyone’s nerves. No one wanted to be the one held accountable in case anything bad happened. 

 

As they gently nudged themselves past the various amounts of zombies, Brian winced as he took in the extent of much of the damage most of these people had suffered from. Ranging from infected lacerations to missing body parts and gaping wounds. Many of these people never had a chance. He hadn’t really realized it but some of these people were just normal people who happened to get exposed to the virus or whatever the fuck it was---either way the thing that the zombies had gave them a slight disadvantage at discovering what they could eat. The moans, the tattered clothes and the limp movements---made Brian and his friends fit in perfectly among the zombies and so for the time being they seemed to be all right.

 

When they reached the door, Brian tried the open it but winced when he realized that it was locked. Ordering the others to form a half circle around him to keep the other zombies from noticing anything peculiar, he whispered softly through the half open hole in the door---hoping to get the owner’s attention.

 

“ _Hey, Gary! Open up---we need to get in. It’s an **emergency.**_ ” 

 

Around them, the zombies started to notice the commotion and some even started to shuffle in their direction. 

 

“Brian, hurry the fuck up! They know, they _fucking_ know! Whispered Emmett frantically as he moaned louder in order to sidetrack a passing zombie.

 

Brian growled in frustration, as the door remained locked and just, as he was about to consider going around to the back and going through there---a loud crash was heard and everyone’s eyes landed on Ted. In a moment of desperation, Ted had grabbed a trashcan and thrown it through a small window somewhere off to the side. It was a fairly small window, recently built into the wall last year, when a few customers complained about the lack of light in the bar. Everyone could easily fit through it but judging by the tight fit, it’d probably take awhile until everyone was safely inside---yet by now almost all the zombies in the surrounding area had heard the commotion and were already moaning in anticipation.

 

To make matters worse, an annoyingly loud jingle rang out and Michael jumped as he hurried to pick up his cell phone. “Hey, Fruitpie69! Did you get the issue of Captain Astro #1 I sent you? You didn’t?! What??? Yeah, yeah…I know it was really expensive and no, I really don’t think you want your money back. Why? Because---“ he was cut short when he felt someone slap away the phone and he winced as it hit the floor in a thud. 

 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” screamed Brian as he grabbed the front of the man’s shirt and shook roughly. “In case you didn’t know we are currently in a very dangerous predicament!” 

 

“Brian!” came Justin’s urgent whisper. 

 

Brian ignored the boy’s urgent grabbing thinking that perhaps he was trying to stop him from pummeling Michael and continued in his tirade. “I’m always sticking up for you and what do you do?! You go and fuck things up!! Well, no more, man! I’m sick and tired of all the bullshit you put me through---we’re finished.” 

 

“BRIAN!” cried Justin once more and he whirled around to face his lover in frustration. 

 

“Don’t stick up for him, Justin…. Oh!” he trailed off when he realized that most of the zombies were shuffling towards them, obviously their cover was blown. Ted tried to get the others to climb through the window but Brian knew that there wasn’t any time for that.

 

“They’ll see us!” he cried as he ran down the end of the street. He heard his friends cry out in shock and ignored their calls for him to come back---raising his hands to his mouth, he bellowed. “HEY! OVER HERE, YOU UNDEAD FREAKS!” 

 

The zombies that had been slowly walking towards the group stopped at the sudden shout and some even turned their attention towards Brian. As he jumped back and forth and waved like a lunatic, some even started to drift away from the large group and shuffle in his general direction. He continued to yell, pleased that most of the crowd was now shuffling in his direction. When a good portion of the hoard was, like, a yard away from him---he jogged around a corner and continued to shout outloud.

 

“Bri-!” Justin’s shout was muffled when he felt a large hand clamp over his mouth. Emmett stared down the street at the shuffling zombie hoard and then looked back down to the boy in his arms. “He’s buying us time, so, let’s not waste it by standing around here like a bunch of loitering queers---get through that window!”

 

Justin nodded hesitantly and went over to Debbie, who looked as if she might keel over any second.

 

“Let me help you, Deb.” He murmured as he bent down to pull her up.

 

The woman smiled cheerfully in his direction and grabbed what looked like a beautiful flower bouquet off the ground. “I think these are for me…” she said before allowing the younger man to pull her towards the bar. 

 

The card had said, _“To a fantastic mother---love Brian.”_

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

They sat in silence, waiting and anxious.

 

Brian had yet to return. 

 

This didn’t seem to bother Justin but the others seemed to be greatly disturbed by their leader’s absence. Michael was off brooding at the side, while Ted and Emmett debated on whether they should block up the window or not, and Debbie seemed absorbed in a world totally to herself. Justin on the other hand, was a bit preoccupied with his and Brian’s current relationship. Several times throughout the whole ordeal Brian had always stated that Justin was his ‘lover.’ Not that the boy was complaining but still it brought back bittersweet memories of the two and everytime Justin heard Brian even mention the word ‘love’, he felt more and more depressed.

 

“Christ, Emmett! He is not coming back! He deserted us, left us here to die and you think he’s going to come back?!” snarled Ted angrily as he stared at the other man heatedly.

 

“He will! He promised to come back and besides Justin’s here! Brian loves him and I really don’t think he’d leave him here to die!” cried the frustrated queen. Ted laughed at this and his laughs continued to grow crueler sounding by the second, when he was finished he looked across the way to where Justin was seated and scoffed slightly. “So, you’re saying that just because Justin’s alive---Brian’s going to come back? It’s all about Justin, huh? If he weren’t here Brian would have just left us here to die but because of his blonde boy ass---he’ll come back!?” For a moment, he didn’t seem to realized he had insulted his friend but when tears started to form in those bright blue eyes, Ted instantly regretted what he had said.

 

“I’m sorry, Justin. Please, please…I didn’t mean it.” He whined as he quickly made his way towards the upset boy but just as he was about to pull him into a hug---he collided into a dark firm wall and fell back. Looking up in annoyance, he blanched when he came face to face with an aggravated Brian Kinney, who looked as if he wanted to kick the smaller man into the next millenium. Scuttling up to his feet, Ted glared at the taller man’s back as he turned to comfort his young lover with whispered words of sentimental bullshit.

 

“Told you so!” said Emmett smugly and Ted only glared at him in response. 

 

“So, how the fuck did you lose them anyway?” questioned Ted harshly as he watched the older man wrap an arm around Justin’s shoulders. 

 

Brian looked up from where he was staring in order to smirk victoriously back at the man before walking over to the bar and grabbing a bag of low carb chips off the counter. 

 

“I gave them the slip.” He smirked as he popped a chip into his mouth. “It wasn’t hard, I just had to lose them somewhere and then get back here---through the **back door**.” 

 

Blushing hotly at being caught at his mistake, Ted quickly retreated to a corner and proceeded to brood at his misfortune. Laughing at Ted’s sudden escape, Brian returned his gaze back onto his lover and smiled reassuringly at him. “Brian…I’m glad you’re alright.” Whispered the boy happily and Brian hugged him in response. “Me too, sunshine.” He replied.

 

For awhile, all was well. The silence was deafening, yet no one seemed to complain. Everyone was just content with the idea of just staying quiet and waiting this whole thing out. When someone did break the silence, it was Brian with one of his smart-ass remarks.

 

“Would anyone like an original salted peanut? Anyone? Anyone?” He laughed softly as the others chuckled nervously in response and then returned to his own thoughts when the sound died out.

 

“Want to watch television?” came a suggestion and murmurs of consent sounded from different parts of the room.

 

As they fiddled with the television’s buttons, someone suggested that the electricity could be out and that if the breaker was re-inserted it might bring back the TV. Volunteering to go and check the fuse box, Brian walked briskly to the back and entered a dark storage room. On the opposite side was the small door he had entered through and another door leading up to the apartment upstairs. He had tried the apartment but it was locked and since the place was dark when they had come in---Brian assumed Gary must have left earlier. Walking over to the fuse box, he fiddled with some of the switches and when the unmistakable sound of white noise broke out in the next room, Brian figured the TV had started up. Yet, as he examined the switches more closely, one in particular sparked his interest and he flipped it on in curiosity. 

 

It was the back door light and when he turned to look, he gasped when he saw what was on the other side of the window. 

 

The zombies had followed him. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Shit, nothing good is on! Their all out of service.” Whispered Emmett as he changed the channels rapidly. 

 

When he heard Brian return from the backroom, Justin had turned to tell him how useless the TV was but paused when he saw the haunted look on his lover’s face. “What’s wrong?” he pressed as the man’s unfocused eyes zeroed in on him. 

 

“They followed me.” Came the breathless reply and Justin could vaguely feel a bit of sweat break out at his temples. “But, I thought you said you gave them the slip?!” he whispered urgently. The older man shook his head furiously and turned back to the door, he shivered visibly before looking back around the room. He started when he saw Michael by the jukebox and jumped into action.

 

“ _MICHAEL, NO,_!” he screamed as he watched the man insert a coin into the jukebox and select a song. He was too late. Suddenly, ‘I will survive’ by Gloria Gaynor started to play and the thumpa thumpa of the jukebox shook the bar. Everyone stilled and waited anxiously for any sounds or movement from the outside. Seconds passed and nothing was heard, thinking that perhaps they were safe the others began to relax but at Emmett’s small cry---all eyes riverted back to the window. 

 

Hand after hand grasped at the empty air in front of them and moans broke out as the frustrated undead tried to climb in through the window. 

 

“ _Oh shit!_ ” whispered Michael as the hands through the window multiplied drastically. Brian was unsure on how they were going to get out of the fix they were in---they couldn’t get out the back or the front and the zombies were numerous. Without weapons…

 

He jumped slightly when he felt the warm hand of his lover slide comfortably over his shoulder and he leaned into him. For a moment all eyes were on the window until Brian heard the unmistakable sound of a moan from behind the bar and his eyes widened as he watched Gary, rise from behind the counter. He had been shot apparently, the wound providing a way for the virus to infect it---because of the small wound it must have taken him a while to turn. No wonder they hadn’t known! 

 

As the zombie came from around the counter to get at them, Brian pulled Justin with him as they made for the very far corner of the room. They ended up behind a pool table as they watched the others scramble in their direction. 

 

Seeing his quarry escape, his clutches, Gary moaned in frustration and the zombies from outside the window moaned in unison for their undead brother. Spotting a couple of pool sticks off to the side, Brian grabbed them and began to distribute them among their little group. When everyone was armed and ready---Brian jumped over the table and prepared himself to attack. 

 

“It’s time at the bar!” he shouted before launching himself onto the zombie. 

 

The others followed his example and it was to the beat of ‘I will survive’ that the little group bashed the zombie repeatedly---until he lay in a bloody heap. Yet, their celebration was cut short when the zombies from outside grew more frenzied and the stuff that they used to block up the window and door started to wobble. Their defenses were wearing down.

 

“Hey, check this out!” cried Justin from the bar. Brian turned to look at the other man and nearly let out a cry of triumph when his eyes landed on a sleek looking shotgun beng waved back and forth.

 

“Holy shit! What was Gary planning to do with that?! Didn’t he know how illegal it is to have such a thing?” gasped Emmett as he scrambled over to the younger man to examine their brand new weapon. Ignoring the man’s prying fingers, Justin looked thorough the cabinets and came up with a full case of 36 shotgun shells. As he put them on the counter, he noticed that one of the zombies had gotten halfway through the window. Fumbling with the heavy bulk of the weapon he clumsily aimed at it and winced as the force of the blast threw him back into an unsuspecting Emmett.

 

“Ouch!!! Can’t you warn a guy next time you do something like that? Jesus!” bitched the man and Justin offered him an apologetic smile in return.

 

Once he and Emmett had been pulled up, the gun was wretched from his grasp and used to finish off the wounded zombie, whose head completely obliterated with the impact of the shot. Things went like this for awhile, with everyone shouting in each other’s ears and pointing. They ended up blowing many holes into the walls then they did the zombies and by the time they were halfway done with the shells, only five zombies were dead.

 

From the side, Justin stood with Debbie, comforting the blubbering woman, as the chaos around them grew more frenzied. As he dabbed at her tearstained face, he caught sight of something red on her arm. Curious as to why she was clutching her arm so tightly, he gently reached out to lift the fabric, and immediately let out a distressed sound when he saw what the woman was trying to hide. She had been bit.

 

_“It was in…the garden of that one house.”_ She paused as she gulped for more air. _“Vic’s last lover lived there and I thought he was still alive when I opened the door. He…he didn’t look sick to me. By the time, Brian came to save me…it was too late. He had already bitten a chunk out of me.”_

 

She gasped as she fell back onto the floor, gasping for air. Reaching out to clutch tightly at Justin’s blue shirt, she pulled him close so she could whisper in his ear. _“I never told you how much I love you, Sunshine. Just…just, promise me you will take care of Brian for me? He gets a little moody sometimes but he loves you a whole lot. Give him a chance.”_ She took another huge gulp of air before continuing, _“This pendant was given to me by Carl---I want you to have it now.”_ She said as she weakly pushed the necklace into his hands while she smiled faintly up at him. Crying freely now, Justin let out a pitiful sound as he called for his lover. “Brian…you’re mother!”

 

Hearing Justin’s crying sob, Brian distractedly pushed the gun into Ted’s hands before stumbling over to his lover’s side. “Mom? MOM! What the fuck is happening?!” he cried as he took in the blood that was running freely from his mother’s arm. “Mom…I don’t understand. How could this happen!?”

 

_“Bri…Brian…I never thanked you for these flowers. You...you make me so…”_ she let out a shuddering gasp as she struggled to finish. _“…proud. I love…”_ Her face froze as something painful began to surge through her and she jerked wildly in Brian’s arms. Admist Brian and Justin’s cries and the shots of the shotgun all time stopped as Debra Kinney died in her son’s arms. A pained smile left on her face.

 

“MOM!!!” Brian screamed as he hugged her tightly to his chest. 

 

This was it…all the barriers were down. What was left in Brian’s place was a small little boy clutching his mother to him. Years after years of oppression from his father did nothing but hurt him physically, emotionally his mother had always been there to sooth his fears. Now that she was gone, Brian was lost. Lost admist the chaos of reality.

 

“Brian…step aside.” Came the haunted voice and Brian turned to face Ted, who had pointed the shotgun directly in Debbie’s face. “She’s going to turn---we need to shoot her or else she’ll come back.”

 

“Teddy!” gasped Emmett in shock as he watched the smaller man reload another shell into the chamber. “Don’t be stupid.”

 

Looking up calmly into the face of the frightened man, Brian could see his father, trying to hurt his mother. He was going to shoot his mother. His mother. The one who ever gave a damn about him.

 

“Are you going to shoot my mother, Theodore?” he inquired calmly as he stared the man straight in the eye. The way he said it wasn’t as scary as how he looked at that very moment. As he was talking he had gotten off the ground in order to be at level with the other man, but it was clearly visible how different their heights were. Brian towered over Ted and could easily harm him if he wanted to. “Get that fucking gun out of my fucking face before I rip your balls off.” He snarled as he advanced towards the man.

 

“Ted listen to him!” cried Justin as he tried to yank the gun from the foolish man.

 

Startled by the force of the pull, Ted shoved Justin away harshly and all eyes watched as the boy bounced off of the counter with a pained cry. Immediately glass was broken and Ted was faced with three sets of broken glass in his face. One wrong move could easily kill him and knowing that he was at a disadvantage, he dropped the gun. “I’m sorry Justin, I didn’t mean to hurt you…but I needed to shoot her. She’s going to come back.”

 

“Oh, bullshit!” shouted Brian as he shoved the broken glass closer to the man’s jugular. “You just want to shoot her because you hate me! You’ve hated me ever since I hooked up with Justin, ADMIT IT!”

 

Ted’s eyes widened and his mouth opened in closed in shock. “That’s not true!” he exclaimed as he looked away. 

 

“Yes it is!” cried Brian.

 

“Yes it is…” whispered Emmett as he looked down at his feet. “You’ve loved Justin ever since college, remember? I know the only reason you hung out with me was because you knew it would get you closer to him.”

 

For a moment, all talking ceased and everyone glared at each other. Yet, at the sound of Justin’s strangled scream and a muffled moan, everyone had turned to look behind them and all breathing ceased when they saw the newly made zombie. Brian made a pained sound at the back of his throat as he watched his mother stare blankly back at him. Her eye’s held no recognition whatsoever and already her body was moving forward.

 

One beat. Two beats. Three beats. 

 

**BANG!**

 

It was so surreal. Watching his mother reel back in shock at being shot before falling dead to the floor. The place where her head should have been was nothing but a bloody stump. Red fuzzy pieces of her hair still drifted in the air and the body grew still once more.

 

The others watched worriedly as Brian gripped the gun tightly to his chest before dropping it. Scrubbing his hands frustratingly over his face, he turned back to the little group.

 

Ted let out a small hiss as he felt Michael digging the glass a little bit deeper into his skin before he was roughly shoved away. Scurrying over to the other side of the room, Ted watched the others warily as they all gathered around Brian to console him. When they were all done saying their parts, Emmett turned quickly to face him and in a cold voice called out. “Don’t you have something you would like to say?!”

 

Noticing that everyone was looking at him hatefully, he looked at the one person he could always depend on and felt a deep sense of regret when he saw the wounded look on Justin’s face. Clearing his sore throat, he looked directly at the young man and placed his hand over his heart. “I’m sorry Justin.”

 

Justin made a distressed sound before glaring at the other man in response. Walking over to Brian he gently pulled the man to him and gestured with his other hand. “You should apologize to Brian, you prick. Afterall, you did hurt him a great deal.” Staring at the taller man’s stony face, Ted let out a long sigh before finally relenting. “I’m sorry, Brian.”

 

Yet, before the man could even reply to the apology---the door had crashed open and the zombies snatched Ted up. Pulling him out of the room and onto the sidewalk, they all began feasting at once. As he fought frantically against them, he screamed as he was dropped onto the floor and ripped apart, piece by piece and there was nothing anyone could do. From the inside, Emmett had actually attempted to follow his friend but because of the zombie’s enthusiasm, by the time he had reached the bottom of the steps all that was left of him were severed body parts. 

 

“You fuckers!” he cried as he snatched up Ted’s leg and started beating the zombies back. Many moaned in annoyance at the loud man’s attempts to harm them and some even tried to get the leg back to finish eating but as Emmett swung more and more furiously---he moved further away from the bar and very soon he was overcome by the horde.

 

“Emmett! Ted!” screamed Justin as he moved to go after them but Brian’s firm arm around his waist stopped him from doing so. 

 

Scared into desperation by this sudden turn of events, Michael rushed off to find something he could use to beat back the zombies and inevitably went in the direction of the storage room. Once he had gotten the lock open, he threw it open and screamed when he was greeted with a horde of zombies.

 

“HOLY SHIT!” he cried as a female zombie latched onto his arm. “ **BRIAN!** ” 

 

Hearing his name being called he turned back to see what was the matter and gasped when he saw the horde of zombies beginning to feast on his best friend. “ **MICHAEL!** ” he cried as he bent down to scoop up the gun and aim it in the man’s direction. When he zeroed in on one of the zombies currently biting into the man’s neck he blanched.

 

“ **BEN?!** ” he screamed when he recognized the unforgettable face of his zombified roommate. The zombie looked up briefly as if hearing his call before returning to feast on Michael’s shoulder. “ **LEAVE HIM ALONE!** ”

 

A loud bang rang out in the bar and Brian watched as his former roommate’s head obliterated upon impact, when Brian aimed to fire off some more shots he turned when he heard Justin’s scared cries.

 

“There’s too many of them!” he whimpered as he beat back one of the zombies with a pool stick. Grabbing the boy by the scruff of his shirt, he jumped over the counter and took a moment to reload as the zombies closed in on them. “ **MICHAEL! MICHAEL! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!** ” he shouted as he shot a few more zombies. They were trapped behind the counter and as more and more zombies poured into the room---the likelihood of them escaping became non-existent. 

 

“I’m here.” Came a soft voice and Brian looked down at the floor. Michael looked bad, like really bad. The wounds he suffered from were deep and bloody---and judging by the numerous amounts of bites he received it was only a matter of time. “Toss me that rag over there---and while you’re at it pour some alcohol on the counter and light it.”

 

Tossing a dirty washcloth at the wounded man, Brian proceeded to do as he was told and after fumbling for a match---he watched as the whole bar went up in flames. It didn’t seem to deter the zombies much but it was enough to keep them at bay. Brian could tell that some of them didn’t like the fire and smirked grimly at this. At least the fuckers would suffer a little bit.

 

“So, this is it, huh?” he whispered as he looked at his two companions. Justin looked tearfully up at him and he squeezed the boy’s shoulder in reassurance. If they were going to die here, he would die protecting the one person he loved. No matter what!

 

“Oh…don’t be such a pussy. Go through the cellar…it’ll get you outside.” Michael said as he thumped the floor beneath them for emphasis. 

 

“A cellar?! Why didn’t you fucking tell us earlier that there was a cellar here?” cried Brian as he shook his friend roughly. The man only smirked in pain and shrugged his shoulders indifferently in response. “You never asked.” Laughing weakly at the man’s enraged face, Michael gasped as he was gripped tightly under his pits and dropped into the hole below. He managed to catch himself before the impact could harm him but he figured he deserved it since he did forget to tell Brian earlier about this place. If he had, he could have saved everyone but sadly things had not worked out the way he wanted.

 

When Brian, Justin and Michael had safely gotten below---they sat silently in the dark listening to the pained moans above and the crackling of the fires. 

 

“Want a smoke?” came Justin’s soft voice and for a brief moment, Brian felt incredibly thankful before realizing, what he had just heard. “I thought you wanted me to quit? And didn’t I throw those away in your garbage?” 

 

The younger man smiled cheekily up at him and Brian smirked back in response. When they had gotten it lit, they both shared a long drag before giving the cigarette to Michael---who at the moment looked like he needed it badly. “So, just out of curiosity…how many shots have you got left?” inquired Justin as he leaned back against the wall.

 

Brian peered into the chamber of the shotgun and shrugged as he held up two shells. “Two for two people? If we have to…” he trailed off as he looked into the eyes of his lover and he pulled him into a hug. 

 

“You would have to shoot me, since I’d probably freak out and miss if I did myself.” Came the muffled reply from his chest and Brian shook his head weakly. 

 

“You know…I really don’t think I have it in me to shoot both my mother and my lover in the same day.”

 

Sharing a shaky laugh, they took a moment to look deeply into each other’s eyes before sharing a desperate kiss and as the minutes passed the kiss grew increasingly passionate. Thinking that Brian and Justin were planning to do something in their moment of desperation, Michael nudged Brian with his foot and smiled when the man looked up to face him.

 

“You know what? I think I would like to be shot.” He said and he laughed weakly as the man’s face took on a dumbfounded look. It was then that they heard the loud thump and Michael jumped when he heard the first batch of zombie’s break through the wood of the door. In a panic, Justin had pulled out of Brian’s embrace in order to back further away but as he moved his head hit some sort of panel and he turned to look up at it.

 

“Brian! Look at this!” he cried excitedly as he waved the control panel in the other man’s face. The older man smiled in relief when he realized that what they were sitting on was a platform used to ship products in and out of the basement. It went straight above street level, so, if the coast was clear---they would be able to make a run for it.

 

He turned to voice his find to Michael but the man had shook his head. Gesturing to his multiple wounds and the geyser of blood dripping from his neck---he smiled at the two survivors and waved weakly. “You guys go on without me. I’ll be fine. Just leave me those two shots and I’ll be peachy keen.” 

 

“Are you sure?” came Brian’s hesitant reply and Michael nodded hastily. “Thank you, Michael…about earlier, I didn’t mean it when I said our friendship was through. You’re the greatest friend a man could ever ask for and I will never forget what you’ve done for me. I love you.”

 

Smiling brightly at Brian’s speech, Michael waved again as the two got onto the platform and prepared to ascend. As the ceiling above them began to part and the contraption moved, Michael smiled softly to himself as he felt the sense of drowsiness hit him like a truck. Before he passed out, he briefly recalled saying something. It was…

 

“ _Be happy…you two_.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

When Brian and Justin arrived at the top of the street, they were relieved to see that most of the zombies had gone into the building and that only a few wandered around. 

 

Gripping each other tightly, they prepared themselves to run. Yet, the flash of a bright light and the screeching of tires startled them causing both to look up in amazement as trucks the size of tanks pulled up in front of them. When the trucks had come to a complete stop, numerous amounts of soldiers jumped out and entered the building behind them. Shots were fired and military personal shouted meaningless garble in the direction of their soldiers. In the midst of it all, Brian clutched Justin tightly to his chest and almost jumped in shock when a minivan almost ran into them. Pulling Justin closer to himself and out of harm’s way, he glared at the person who stepped out of the car and did a double take when he realized who was looking back at him.

 

“Lindsay?!” he cried as the woman smiled brightly at the sight of him.

 

“Brian! Oh…I am so happy to see you-! Oh, and Justin, too. I’m glad to see that both of you are doing alright.” 

 

Smiling in relief, he looked around and frowned when he realized that his friend was alone. Where were the rest of her goonies? 

 

Noticing Brian’s confusion, she quickly sobered up and looked away sadly.

 

“My friends…they didn’t make it. And Melanie was badly injured.”

 

Nodding, he took her hand into his and rubbed it softly. Afterall, what other source of comfort could he lend? As they stood standing there, Brian was surprised at how easy it was for him to tell her what had happened and she in turn did the same. When they had both gotten their problems off their chest, Lindsay patted Brian affectionately on the cheek before walking towards the military perimeter the soldiers had set up.

 

“I’ll go tell them to head for your home next and then both of you can return to your lives.” She smiled brightly at him. “Let’s keep in touch, Brian. After all this, I’ve come to realize how important it is to be there for your friends.” Running off before the man could reply, Brian shrugged to himself before looking down into Justin’s eyes. Before Lindsay had left, she had given them a blanket to wrap each other in and as the breeze picked up Brian was thankful for the nice gesture. He pulled it tightly around themselves before leaning down to hug the man tightly to him---afraid that if he were to let up, something terrible might take him away.

 

“You’re all I have left, Sunshine. You’re all that I need.” He blinked back the tears that threatened to push pash his lashes and pressed on. “ I hope that you know how much I…I love you.” 

 

The response he got was all he needed. The shaky breath and the boy’s arms tightening around him was good enough for him. “I love you…I love you.”

 

“I love you.” Came Justin’s reply and all was well in the world.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

After flipping through the countless amounts of channels on the television, Justin was fed up with all the bullshit that a lot of people were coming up with. Like those survival stories, fuck, those things were numerous. A ten year old kid surviving against 50 zombies! _Whatever_.

 

Shutting off the television, Justin leaned back onto the sofa and looked up at the ceiling in deep thought.

 

It had been a year since the incident. 

 

_After, Brian and Justin had escaped Woody’s---the army had taken them back to Brian’s home, yet it was during the ‘cleanup’ process that the house was inevitably destroyed. Justin was there to keep Brian calm as they watched, years worth of work go down the drain and yet the catastrophe did nothing to spoil their plans. No, if anything things only turned out for the better._

_Brian had quit his job at the ‘Television Shack’ to pursue a career in advertising. At first the company that he applied to, Vanguard, had been reluctant to hire him but after putting him through a test run and realizing that he had vast amounts of potential---Brian soon had them eating out of his hands. In a short amount of time, he was promoted and given vast amounts of cash for his efforts---which he used to buy them a nice house in uptown Pittsburgh. Things had gone fairly well until Brian had gotten so much power that the other partners started to plot against him. Realizing this, he decided to form his own advertising agency and with Justin’s help was able to come up with the name, Kinnetic. Of course, Vance was furious with Brian’s sudden bout of rebellion and threaten to ruin him with blackmail. Yet, luck had been on their side again and the following day, Vance had been arrested for withholding money from his clients. Brian had been given the green light._

_Launching Kinnetic had been a huge success and by around noon the clients started pouring in. Justin was given a job as Brian’s art director and together they were able to create an empire. When Kinnetic had reached its highest peak and the likelihood of opening branches elsewhere was high, Brian suggested that they open one up in Canada. Of course, this confused Justin because he knew Canada wasn’t exactly a busy place for advertising but at the older man’s wink and smile---it suddenly dawned on him. He remembered jumping into the other man’s arms shouting, “I do! I do! I do!”_

_The wedding, of course, had been gorgeous. Many people had come. Some old and some new. Brian had made friends among the rich and famous as well. So, Justin wasn’t surprised when he had walked into the restroom to piss at one point and had caught Gale Harold and Randy Harrison (who looked remarkably like Brian and Justin except Gale had a unibrow that needed to be shaved and Randy’s hair color wasn’t natural!) going at it in the last stall. Also, Emmett had been there! Yes, Emmett! It turns out that the man had realized that no amount of first aid would help bring back his dead boyfriend, so, he had climbed up a tree and waited there until the army came. Justin was relieved that at least one of their friends had survived and made it a habit to invite the flamboyant man over for tea every single day!_

 

So, now here they were---living in a beautiful beach house in Canada. He was now Mr. Justin Kinney and blissfully content. 

 

He started when he heard a loud groan come from the kitchen and walked in to investigate. When he spotted his husband, scratching his ass tiredly and making coffee---he leapt at him. “Hi, Bri-! Have a good sleep?” 

 

The man mumbled incoherently and Justin laughed in response. Pulling him closely to his chest, Justin gave him a passionate kiss before pulling away. “What was that for?” he muttered as he licked his lips. Justin shrugged and walked away, swaying his hips seductively with each step. 

 

“So, after you’re done with work let’s go to my mom’s for breakfast, Emmett’s for tea, visit Fate (A hip new gay club in town), hit Woody’s for a drink and fuck all night?” 

 

“If you say so…” laughed the older man and Justin gave him a good smack in the shoulder for his cheek. As Brian watched his husband climb up the stairs, he tiredly moved towards his study to do as he was told. Which was to ‘do his work’. When he entered the little room, he slumped into a chair by the desk and leaned heavily against the wall. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. Across the way from him, on the wall, hung an old picture---a picture of everybody from before the incident. As Brian stared at it, he remembered all the good times they had and the memories they created together. Those times would never be forgotten and despite all that has happened---Brian is glad that he has his friends and family watching over him.

 

Quickly getting out of his chair, he looked up the stairs and checked to see if Justin was finished. Hearing the shower going, he assumed the boy was getting ready for their day out and so this gave him enough time. 

 

Slipping out of the house, Brian walked briskly across the sand and into a small cave. In the dim light, he could see him flipping through the comics in boredom. Yet, when he spotted Brian, he moaned in excitement and tried to get up but the chains held him down. 

 

Smiling softly to himself, Brian sat on the cold sand and reached out for a comic of his own. Reaching distractedly into a bucket of chopped livers with his other hand, Brian threw a few in his friend’s direction and watched as he eagerly reached out for the offering.

 

_“Hey, Mikey. How’s it going?”_


End file.
